Less than a week ago, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid a visit to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine. This insolent act is an open defiance to justice, and the international community should strike back hard, said a People's Daily editorial published on New Year's Day.

It seems Abe is determined to impose Japan's old "empire dream" on Asian people. Visiting the shrine is a necessary step in Abe's attempt to build Japan into a military power and seek hegemony in Asia.

Abe's arrogance and gambler-like psyche stem from the obstinacy of Japan's military past, which now poses a real threat to peace in Asia.

The Yasukuni Shrine honors Class-A war criminals of World War II and is considered a symbol of Japan's past militarism. Yet Abe has willfully gone his own way, disregarding the strong opposition both at home and abroad. His shrine visit has seriously hurt the feelings of Asian people, and his reckless move will have a serious impact on the political stance Asia and the world at large take toward Japan.

It is widely perceived in the world that countries in Asia need to build trust. But Abe has chosen to damage the necessary atmosphere for such trust building again and again.

What Abe has done reminds us of Japan before WWII. Japan was mired in an unprecedented economic crisis between 1920 and 1921 and Japanese Fascism took the opportunity to raise its ugly head. It attempted to set up a Fascist country under the rule of the Japanese emperor and dreamed of building a so-called greater East Asia co-prosperity sphere to dominate Asia.

Abe openly denies the Tokyo Trials and said he is proud of his country's history. He even went further and alleged that there are no final verdicts on Japan's colonial rule in WWII.

How history repeats itself! How malicious Abe's intentions are!

A country that is unable to dump its history of aggression and invasion inevitably poses a big threat to world peace and stability.

The international community should guard against Abe's reviving of the dying embers of Japanese militarism. It should respond strongly to Japan's provocative moves. This is where its responsibility lies to both the Japanese people and peoples around the world.