Asian countries' opposition to the Japanese prime minister's visits to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine is not against Japan, but demonstrates their efforts to uphold the world's common values of anti-fascism, a former senior Chinese diplomat said on Tuesday in Tokyo.

"What we oppose is Japanese Prime Minister (Junichiro Koizumi)'s visits to the shrine where 14 Class-A war criminals are honored," said Wu Jianmin, president of China Foreign Affair University and a former ambassador to France.

"The 14 top war criminals are major symbols of Japanese militarism as well as Japanese fascism," Wu told a symposium on China-Japan relations.

The Japanese prime minister's visits to such a shrine, therefore, bring insults to the common anti-fascist values of the world, he added.

Koizumi has visited the Yasukuni Shrine five times since taking office in April 2001, drawing condemnation and protests from Asian countries, including China and South Korea.

The termination of such visits is "in the fundamental interests of the Japanese people and people around the world," said Wu.

Wu said the Chinese government seeks long-lasting friendship with Japan.

"No matter what difficulties may arise in bilateral relations, they will be overcome through joint efforts of the peoples of the two countries," Wu said.

Those who go against the historical trend are bound to fail sooner or later, he added.

Source: Xinhua