According to TRTworld.com, Hei, a member of the House of Councillors of the National Diet of Japan, is a China-born naturalised Japanese citizen who is also known by his Chinese name Shi Ping. He has been a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party and has long been spreading “fallacies” on issues related to Taiwan, the Diaoyu Islands (Senkaku Islands) and the Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong regions, the ministry said.
The shrine has long been a source of diplomatic tension between Japan and its neighbours, particularly South Korea and China, which view visits as a sign of Japans failure to fully acknowledge its wartime past.
The sanctions against Hei include the freezing of movable and immovable properties and other types of assets within the territory of China; the prohibition of organisations and individuals within the territory of China from engaging in transactions, cooperation and other activities with him; and denial of visa issuance and entry into China (including Hong Kong and Macao) for him and his immediate family members.
