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TOKYO - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday warned his Japanese counterpart not to go to a controversial war shrine ahead of a visit to Tokyo meant to cement warming ties.
Wen said he was hopeful of achieving progress during next week's visit to Japan, which is the first by a Chinese leader in seven years.
"Individual Japanese leaders have visited numerous times and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," Wen said in an interview with Japanese reporters in Beijing.
"I hope this will never happen again," he said, as quoted by Kyodo News.
Wen will visit Japan from April 11-13, the first trip here by a Chinese premier since Zhu Rongji in 2000, as the two nations explore ways to thaw relations haunted by Japanese aggression in China during World War II.
Yasukuni shrine has been at the core of tension between the two nations. It enshrines 2.5 million Japanese war dead including World War II leaders condemned by US-led allied powers as war criminals.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, formerly a vocal advocate of politicians visiting the Yasukuni shrine, has maintained a strategic silence on whether he will go as premier and he tries to mend ties with China and South Korea.
"Regarding Yasukuni, things will remain as I have said previously. My thoughts will not change," Abe told reporters in Tokyo after Wen's remarks.
China and Japan have been working to improve relations strained in recent years over differences in interpreting wartime history and continuing energy disputes, among other issues.
Wen said he was optimistic about the outlook of the dispute over development of gas fields in the East China Sea, saying "I believe this can be resolved through peaceful means if we continue to work together and negotiate."
The Asian countries, which are two of the world's biggest energy importers, last week resumed talks on the energy row after a break of nine months and agreed to work to a solution in time for Wen's visit.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso also agreed to seek progress on the gas issue during a meeting Tuesday with his Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing on the sidelines of a South Asian summit in New Delhi.
Wen said his trip was an occasion to warm chilled relations but also called on Abe to "keep his promises and promote to enhance the China-Japan relationship," Jiji Press reported.
The Chinese leader said he wanted to draft a joint statement on relations with Abe.
Wen is also due to meet with Emperor Akihito, visit the ancient city of Kyoto and address the Japanese parliament.
Abe visited China in October just after taking office, the first trip by a Japanese premier to Beijing in five years.
China refused all summits with Abe's predecessor Junichiro Koizumi due to his repeated visits to the Yasukuni shrine, which China calls a symbol of wartime atrocities.
"We must view our history as a mirror and learn lessons, as we must pave the new path of the Sino-Japan cooperation," Wen said, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Abe caused an uproar a month ago when he denied Japanese troops directly coerced Asian sex slaves into World War II army brothels. He later said he stood by Japan's apology to the so-called "comfort women." – AFP/ir
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