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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is under fire again after comparing his country's tense relations with China, with those of Germany and Britain before World War I. China has urged Japan to face up to history and correct its wrong understanding.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum² in Davos, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said China and Japan are in a "similar situation" to Britain and Germany before 1914, but conflict erupted between the two countries despite strong economic ties. He said both China and Japan should take lessons from that.

In response, China’s Foreign Ministry³ again urged Abe to face up to history and rectify⁴ his understanding of history.

“The Japanese leader should have a correct understanding of history. It would be better to face up to what Japan did in China before World War One and in modern history, than to say things about pre-World War One British-German relations. Japan should learn from its history of aggression⁵ and colonial rule, and keep in mind the great sufferings its fascist⁶ war had inflicted⁷ on the peoples of victimized countries.” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is attending the Geneva two peace talks on Syria in Montreux, called on the international community to be alert, and confront Japan for its wrongdoings.

"Japanese Prime Minister Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine⁸ despite all the oppositions⁹. His intention was very clear: he wanted to justify¹⁰ Japan’s invasion. I believe everyone with a conscience and every country standing¹ by International justice cannot accept this. Lessons of history should be learned. I call on the International community to form a united front and stop such actions that attempt to reverse history." Wang said.

Abe is reported to have claimed several times that 14 Class-A convicted world War Two criminals enshrined at the Yasukuni Shrine were not criminals in Japan.

He also said he deeply regretted not having visited the Shrine during his first term as Prime Minister.

His visit to the shrine last December came under strong criticism, further exacerbating¹¹ Japan’s relations with China and its regional neighbours.