China FM: Abe's shrine visit takes Japan in dangerous direction

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has lashed out at Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for paying his respects to a controversial war shrine that infuriated both Seoul and Beijing, saying Abe's visit to the Yasukuni shrine takes Tokyo in a "dangerous direction." Wang made the remarks late Thursday when he summoned the Japanese ambassador in Beijing, Masato Kitera, and lodged a "strong protest" against Abe's visit to the shrine, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. Japan's bilateral relations with both South Korea and China are expected to hit their lowest ebbs in years after Abe paid his respects at the shrine, which honors 14 Class A war criminals convicted by the allied forces after World War II.