Abe, too, has stoked tensions, particularly by visiting Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine – a controversial memorial that honors, among others, Class A war criminals from World War II. Though Abe visited the shrine only once – in December 2013 – he felt compelled to do so in response to China’s unilateral declaration of an air-defense identification zone, covering territories that it claims but does not control.
安倍也在给紧张局面火上浇油，特别是其惨败靖国神社的举动。靖国神社因为供奉二战甲级战犯牌位而饱受争议。尽管安倍只参拜过一次靖国神社（2013年12月），但由于中国单方面宣布建立包括其主张但为控制地区的防空识别区，安倍感到必须以参拜靖国神社的方式作出回应。