The Foreign Ministry yesterday urged the Japanese government "to handle sensitive historical issues properly" after the country's leader sent an offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.

"A correct view and proper handling of historical issues by the Japanese government constitute the political foundation for China-Japan relations. Any erroneous moves will produce a grave and negative impact on the relations," Jiang Yu, a spokeswoman, told a regular news briefing.

China has already used diplomatic channels to express its strong concern and dissatisfaction, and stressed the extreme sensitivity of historical issues, Jiang said.