Japan should establish a more equal relationship with China rather than always trying to appease its giant rival, Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said Sunday as he defended Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's latest visit to Yasukuni Shrine.
Koizumi sparked angry protests from China and South Korea on Monday when he prayed at the shrine, which critics say glorifies Japan's wartime invasions of Asia. Yasukuni honors Japan's war dead, including convicted war criminals executed by the Allies after World War II.
The visit -- Koizumi's fifth since taking office in 2001 -- prompted China to cancel a trip to Beijing by Machimura, while South Korea's foreign minister said he would not follow through any time soon with an expected trip to Japan.
A scheduled December summit between Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun was also put in doubt.
On Sunday, Machimura said Tokyo has long kept a low-profile stance toward China out of a sense of responsibility for its wartime aggression, but it is time to develop a more equal diplomatic relationship.
"Until now, we have often, though not always, tended to think that it is best for Japan to follow everything China says, not insist on our claims, and keep a rather low-profile posture," Machimura said. "But I think we should be able to say what we believe is right, and also listen to the other side sincerely."
Machimura told a talk show on TV Asahi that Koizumi's visit to the war shrine served Japan's national interest and "was to show that he should not succumb to foreign pressure."
However, Machimura said he hopes relations with Beijing and Seoul can be repaired through diplomatic efforts.