18/10/2012 18:58
China condemned a visit by two Japanese to a shrine of war
China condemned a visit by two Japanese ministers to a controversial shrine for war dead on Thursday, further straining already tense relations between Asia's two largest economies.
Sino-Japanese relations have soured sharply in the past month when a row over disputed islands led to violent anti-Japanese protests across China and badly hurt trade.
The ministers' pilgrimage to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen by many in the region as a symbol of Japan's war-time militarism, came a day after a visit to the site by Japan's main opposition party leader and possible next prime minister, Shinzo Abe.