BEIJING - There will be no future for Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors if Japanese leaders regard aggression, expansion and colonial rule by the country's former militarists as "proud history and tradition," a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Thursday.

Hua Chunying's remarks came after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reportedly told a parliamentary panel on Wednesday that it is only natural to honor the spirit of the war dead who gave their lives for the country, in the wake of protests from China and the Republic of Korea over his Cabinet members' recent visits to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine.

Abe also said his ministers will not yield to any threats, and it is also his job to protect Japanese pride, which rests on history and tradition.

Hua said the essence of issues regarding Yasukuni Shrine is how Japanese government and leaders understand and treat the country's history of invading other Asian countries.

If Japanese leaders regard aggression, expansion and colonial rule by the country's former militarists as "proud history and tradition," and attempt to challenge the results of World War II and post-war order, Japan can never escape its historical shadow and there will be no future for Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors, Hua told a regular news briefing.