Uh-Oh: Japan and China, part 2
Koizumi goes to Yasukini, and China cancels a meeting:

Another Chinese snub for Japan's PM
Peter Alford, Tokyo correspondent
May 24, 2005

PRIME Minister Junichiro Koizumi has suffered another Chinese snub, with Vice-Premier Wu Yi cancelling their Tokyo meeting and returning to Beijing a day early.

Japanese officials denied yesterday's cancellation had anything to do with Mr Koizumi's refusal to end his annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine war memorial, but China gave no public explanation.

However, the cancellation followed comments by the Japanese leader to a Diet committee on Friday that he saw no reason to stop visiting Yasukuni, and a warning on Sunday by Chinese President Hu Jintao that Sino-Japanese relations could be damaged "in an instant" by such an action.

So... they seriously think the "Yasukini Shrine" thing is nothing?

The worst part about this is that Wu has an inferior rank to Koizumi, meaning that this is taken to be exceptionally disrespectful. Ouch.