Asia history tensions flare at UN debate

Tensions between Japan and its neighbours over historical issues have flared at the UN Security Council, with strong words from top envoys. Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi said the Japanese prime minister's recent visit to the controversial Yasukuni shrine had "closed the door to dialogue". South Korea's envoy, meanwhile, accused Japan of having a "distorted view" of history. Japan said raising these issues at the UN did not help to reduce tensions. The exchanges took place on Wednesday at a UN Security Council open debate on lessons to be learnt from war. They came weeks after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, where the souls of Japan's war dead - including several convicted war criminals - are enshrined. Such visits enrage Japan's neighbours, who accuse Japan of failing to adequately address its past militarism, according to BBC.