Beijing restrained on shrine visit

Koizumi's visit to the war shrine has sparked debate across Asia

(CNN) -- Individual Chinese have protested against Japanese Prime Minister's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine for the war dead. However, despite condemnation by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Beijing's official reaction has remained restrained.

On Tuesday morning, a lone man staged a protest outside the heavily guarded Japanese embassy in Beijing. Reuters reported that a plainclothes policeman seized the man's banner before he could unfurl it.

"Chinese people should do something," the protester, who did not give his name, said.

He was allowed to remain outside the embassy's gate for a few minutes. None of the passers-by joined him.

Official media on Tuesday quoted Chinese in Nanjing, which was hard hit during World War II, as expressing indignation over Koizumi's action.

The People's Daily website quoted the head of the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, Zhu Chengshan as saying since the Yasukuni Shrine glorified Japanese imperialists, Koizumi's action "was another major political act to distort history."

Xia Shuqing, a survival of the Rape of Nanjing, told the People's Daily she was very angry at Koizumi's visit to the shrine.

"Japan committed extremely vicious crimes in China," she said. "This historical fact cannot be altered."

No demonstrations or rallies, however, have been reported in Nanjing or other cities that suffered the brunt of Japanese invasion. Diplomatic analysts in Beijing said the reaction of the Chinese government was restrained particularly when compared to that of the Koreans.

Impropriety

In an unusually long report, Tuesday's CCTV newscast showed a sternly faced Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yi lecturing Japanese ambassador Anami Kozeshige on the impropriety of the Yasukuni visit.

"What the Japanese leader has done has damaged the political basis of Sino-Japanese relations and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," said Wang, also one of Beijing's leading Japan experts.

However, Beijing has stopped short of tougher actions such as recalling its ambassador to Tokyo or suspending mutual visits and bilateral programs.

"Police in Beijing and other large cities are under orders to stop anti-Japanese rallies," a Western diplomat said.

"Particularly at a time of uncertain relations with the United States, Beijing does not want to alienate Tokyo over what is after all an old problem between both countries."