China to Add Shrine Visits in Memorial

A memorial marking the slaughter of Chinese citizens of Nanjing by Japanese troops will soon include exhibits showing visits by Japanese politicians to a Tokyo shrine that honors war dead, state media reported Wednesday.

The visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where convicted Japanese war criminals are honored, have become a sticking point in relations between Beijing and Tokyo.

Lu Yunfei, Web master for the Patriots League, a nationalist Web site, called the planned exhibition"a silent protest and strong condemnation of the Japanese government."

Repeated trips to the shrine by former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi severely strained ties, but relations have improved since Shinzo Abe succeeded him in September.