Shinzo Abe's aide visits controversial Yasukuni Shrine

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe`s aide, who also serves as an upper house member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine here on Wednesday.

Seiichi Eto`s visit is the latest following some of the Prime Minister`s Cabinet ministers and a contingent of more than 80 lawmakers from different parties paying homage at the shrine, Xinhua news agency reported.

Abe himself made a ritual offering to Yasukuni Shrine on Monday to observe the spring autumn festival.

Visits and offerings made at the shrine during its festivals by politicians, however, draw the ire of Japan`s neighbours as the Yasukuni Shrine stands as a testament to the country`s past militarism and acts that Japanese Army committed during wartime.

The shrine honours 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the World War II.

China on Monday called on Japan to reflect upon its past aggressions, after Abe sent a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine.

"We firmly opposes the wrong-doings of Japanese politicians," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, stating that Tokyo should make a clear break with its militarist past so as to win trust from its Asian neighbours and the international community.