China and Russia have criticized recent visits by some Japanese Cabinet members to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, pledging that the two countries will jointly defend the truth of history, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

During their phone talks on Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov that Beijing and Moscow should join hands to "oppose any attempt to whitewash or glorify militarism" and "stem any scheme to falsify history."

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shake hands before their talks in Beijing on April 23, 2018. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Wang's remarks came after Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent an offering and three members of his Cabinet paid visits to the Shinto shrine on Sunday as the Asian nation marked the 76th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Established in 1869 to commemorate those who died in wars for Japan, Yasukuni in 1978 added wartime Prime Minister Gen. Hideki Tojo and other convicted war criminals to the more than 2.4 million war dead enshrined there.

Since the 1980s, the shrine has been a source of diplomatic friction with Japan's neighbors, particularly China and South Korea. Japan had invaded a huge swath of China by the end of the war, while Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

The latest Yasukuni visits are a "challenge to human conscience and international justice" and "all peace-loving countries and people cannot tolerate and should denounce Japan's act," Wang was quoted by his ministry as telling Lavrov.

Lavrov echoed the view, saying Russia and China should "oppose any attempt to smear history," according to the ministry.

China has urged Japanese political leaders to change what it calls their wrong attitude toward Yasukuni, saying it enshrines "Class-A war criminals who were directly responsible" for Japan's war of aggression.


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Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi visits Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine, seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, on Aug. 13, 2021. Kishi visited the Shinto shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with more than 2.4 million war dead, two days ahead of the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi visits Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine, seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, on Aug. 15, 2021. Koizumi visited the Shinto shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with more than 2.4 million war dead, on the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Japanese education minister Koichi Hagiuda visits Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine, seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, on Aug. 15, 2021. Hagiuda visited the Shinto shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with more than 2.4 million war dead, on the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Japanese economic revitalization minister Yasutoshi Nishimura is pictured after visiting Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine, seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, on Aug. 13, 2021. Nishimura visited the Shinto shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with more than 2.4 million war dead, two days ahead of the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (C) visits Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine, seen by China and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, on Aug. 15, 2021. Abe visited the Shinto shrine, which honors convicted war criminals along with more than 2.4 million war dead, on the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
People pray at Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine on Aug. 15, 2021, the 76th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The Shinto shrine honors more than 2.4 million war dead. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo