Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-Hui visited a controversial Japanese war shrine yesterday, provoking criticism from the mainland, the AP reported. Lee visited the Yasakuni shrine in Tokyo, where his elder brother, who was killed while in the Japanese navy during World War II, has his name listed among the war dead. The visit could strain Japan-China relations, since the shrine has long been an issue of contention between the two countries. China sees the shrine as a symbol of Japan's expansionist past and its unwillingness to apologize for misdeeds during the war. "We again express our strong dissatisfaction with the Japanese side for allowing Lee Teng-hui to visit Japan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. Lee said his visit was a "private, family event".