China urged Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday to take concrete action to improve Sino-Japanese relations by stopping visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japanese militarism.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said this in response to Koizumi's statement in Tokyo on Monday that China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) cannot turn his shrine visits into a diplomatic issue.

Qin said the Japanese prime minister has time and again visited the shrine where Class-A war criminals of World War II are honoured, regardless of the feeling and strong opposition from neighbouring countries. The wrongdoing and its severe consequences are obvious to all, Qin said.

重点单词与搭配：

1.    ties = relations; bilateral ties 双边关系; Sino-Japanese relations 中日关系

2.    urge sb. to do sth. 敦促, 强烈要求某人做某事

3.    Yasukuni Shrine 靖国神社

4.    militarism 军国主义; unilateralism 单边主义; terrorism 恐怖主义

5.    in response to 回应

6.    diplomatic issue 外交问题; diplomatic relations 外交关系

7.    time and again 一再

8.    Class-A war criminal 甲级战犯

9.    honor 敬重；尊敬；使荣耀

10. regardless of 不管，不顾

11. strong opposition 强烈反对；opposition party 反对党；ruling party 执政党

12. neighboring countries 邻国

13. severe consequences 严重后果