Japan PM sends offering to war dead shrine, angers China and South Korea

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows after offering a chrysanthemum flower to war dead during a memorial service ceremony marking the the 69th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two, at Budokan Hall in Tokyo August 15, 2014. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday sent a ritual offering to a Tokyo shrine to war dead, triggering angry criticism from China and South Korea despite his decision not to visit the shrine in person as he seeks a Sino-Japanese summit.

His offering to the Yasukuni Shrine on the 69th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War Two still angered South Korea and China, where bitter memories linger of Japan's actions before and during the war.