Tokyo, Aug. 15 (BNA) On the anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed Monday that his country would not wage war again, as members of his government visited a shrine honoring the war dead, angering South Korea. and China.
Japan’s relations with China have already been strained after China conducted unprecedented military exercises across Taiwan following the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this month, Reuters reports.
During the exercises, several missiles landed in the waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
“We will not repeat the horrors of war again. I will continue to fulfill this determined oath,” Kishida told a secular gathering in Tokyo attended by Emperor Naruhito.
“In a world where conflicts remain unabated, Japan is an effective peace leader,” he said.
Anniversary of Japan’s surrender is usually celebrated with visits to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, which the south sees.