Japan's Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka has assured China that Japan will issue no more visas to former president Lee Teng-hui (
Tanaka gave the assurance in a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan (
In the conversation on May 7, Tanaka criticized former prime minister Yoshiro Mori for approving the visa for Lee, who visited Japan for treatment for heart problems, Kyodo said.
"[Lee's visit] was decided by the former Cabinet in its final days without obtaining the full consent of the people. That cannot happen in the future," Tanaka was quoted as saying by the ministry sources.
Lee made a five-day visit to Japan in late April when he underwent surgery for clogged arteries at a hospital in Kurashiki, near Osaka. It was the first visit to Japan by the Japanese-speaking Lee since a stopover as Taiwan's vice president in 1985.
The latest visit drew angry protests from China, which accuses Lee of making overseas trips as part of a drive to push for the independence of Taiwan.
China was expected to seek official confirmation from Japan that it will not issue another visa to Lee when Tanaka visits Beijing next week for a meeting of Asian and European foreign ministers, Kyodo quoted the sources as saying.
According to the media, Tanaka has also assured China that her government will firmly abide by Beijing's "one China" principle.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry official, however, refused to make any comments on the reports, showing that the ministry is trying to keep a low-profile regarding Tanaka's speech.
Meanwhile, Kazuaki Mitsudo -- Lee's heart surgeon at the Kurashiki Hospital -- left Taiwan yesterday after a four-day visit.
Mitsudo was invited by the Taiwan Society of Cardiology (中華民國心臟學會) to give a speech to local doctors. He also demonstrated surgical procedures at China Medical College (中國醫藥學院).
According to Mitsudo, Lee is now making a quick recovery from his illness and it should be no problem for Lee to visit the US in the near future.
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