Shinzo Abe visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine that honors 14 World War II Class A war criminals on Thursday, making him the first sitting Japanese prime minister in seven years to set foot in the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine is a symbol of Japanese aggression in WWII. The prime minister's provocative visit is a political act, which highlights his wrong understanding of Japan's militarist past and dangerous political orientation. The visit in essence is a flagrant provocation to the peace-loving people of the entire world, a gross trampling upon historical justice and human decency, and an outrageous challenge to the post-war international order and the international community.

Top among the reasons for Abe's shrine visit is his political stance, the core of which is desire to overthrow the international community's trial of Japanese militarism and get rid of its image as a vanquished country in a bid to develop the country into a major political power with strong and independent military strength.