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By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine, seen by critics as a symbol of Japan's past militarism, a move that may increase strains on Tokyo's ties with Asian neighbors China and South Korea. The offering from Abe, who visited the shrine in December but opted not to go in person this time, was sent just before U.S. President Barack Obama's three-day visit to Japan begins on Wednesday. China protested on April 12 after internal affairs minister Yoshitaka Shindo visited the shrine, where 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal after World War Two are honored along with Japan's war dead. Abe made his latest offering to the shrine as a private individual so it was not the government's place to comment, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.More...