Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi tried to telephone Jiang Zemin before the announcement Aug. 30 of his coming historic visit to North Korea, but the Chinese president refused to take the call, according to Japanese and Chinese sources.
The Chinese action apparently stemmed from lingering resentment toward Koizumi's spring visit to Yasukuni Shrine on April 21, according to the sources, adding that the Japanese side felt snubbed.
Yasukuni Shrine, located in Tokyo, honors war criminals alongside those who have died in wars.
When the Japanese government told Chinese officials that Koizumi planned to make a call to Jiang, the officials declined, saying, "President Jiang cannot take calls now."