Japan party set to shun war shrine

The shrine is dedicated to the spirits of soldiers -- including 1,068 convicted war criminals. It has been visited by senior Japanese politicians, to the chagrin of countries, including China, that suffered wartime atrocities.

The DPJ says that if it wins the Aug 30 election, it will not let its leader visit the shrine. Experts said the move signals Tokyo may be ready to offer conciliation to Asian neighbors, many of whom were occupied by Japanese forces during the World War II.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's annual visits to the Tokyo shrine between 2001 and 2006 infuriated Beijing and Seoul and resulted in soured diplomatic relations.

None of the three prime ministers that have followed Koizumi have visited the shrine.

However, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has controlled Japan for most of the past 54 years, has not ruled out future visits; Kazinform cites China Daily. See www.chinadaily.com.cn for full version.