Tokyo's governor arrived in Taipei yesterday for a three-day visit, which has already caused consternation among Taiwan watchers in China.
Shintaro Ishihara (
"Being the head of Japan's metropolitan government, I want to share Japan's city planning experiences with other governments," Ishihara told reporters on arrival.
PHOTO: TONY K. YAO, LIBERTY TIMES
Ishihara is the highest-level Japanese official to visit Taiwan since Tokyo switched diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing in 1972.
The main purpose of the visit, he said, was to express concern on behalf of the citizens of Tokyo to victims of the 921 earthquake.
Yesterday, he visited the Shihkang reservoir in Taichung County and temporary housing villages for quake victims near Tungshih Township.
The visit came at the personal invitation of President Lee Teng-hui (
Though no official China statement has been made, Taiwan affairs specialists in China were quick to respond to Ishihara's visit yesterday, saying it endangered Sino-Japanese relations.
Deputy Director at the Institute of Taiwan Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Science, Yu Keli (余克禮) said China does not oppose Japan and Taiwan developing non-governmental relations, but said official ties would break Sino-Japanese agreements.
Yu said that as Ishihara was the leading official for Japan's capital, the visit did have ramifications for the diplomatic relationship between Beijing and Tokyo, since the two are sister cities.
Chen Kongli (
"Political figures will not take actions without political goals," he said.
The New Party expressed its displeasure at the visit last night and asked Ishihara not to make any remarks that would upset cross-strait relations.
New Party convenor Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) asked Ishihara to apologize to China for the visit and criticized President Lee for inviting the governor and risking China's wrath.
Presidential spokesman Ting Yuan-chao (
Lee has become the target of attacks from Beijing since July when he defined Taiwan-China relations as being conducted on a "special state-to-state" basis.
Ishihara may hold a closed-door meeting with Lee at his Taipei residence, local newspapers said.
They also reported that Ishihara, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party's pro-Taiwan group, had been an acquaintance of Lee's since his first visit over 30 years ago, and travelled to Taiwan almost annually before he was elected governor.
Ishihara is also expected to meet Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Most Japanese politicians have shunned official contacts with Taiwan, but Ishihara told reporters when he was elected that he would visit the island and might even consider inviting Lee to Japan.
Ishihara has risked Beijing's anger before and during his election campaign in April highlighted the fact that China had maintained the option of taking Taiwan by force.
On the other hand he did offend some Taiwanese by dismissing the Nanjing massacre -- also known as the Rape of Nanking -- in which hundreds of thousands of Chinese were slaughtered by Japanese troops in World War II.
Also, Ishihara has talked tough over a disputed island group in the East China Sea, known as the Diaoyutais in Chinese communities and Senkaku in Japan, which is claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.
Yesterday, Ishihara was reported to have been forced to scrap his plan of inviting Ma to his inauguration in April, under pressure from both the Japanese and Chinese governments.
It is expected the governor will keep his trip on a relatively low key note because of pressure from Beijing and criticism from right wing elements in Taiwan.
On Friday, the Japanese governor said President Lee had asked him to "give him a hand" in reconstructing quake-torn areas, according to Japan's Kyodo news agency.
"I think it is a good idea for Tokyo to take the initiative in a great project to reconstruct earthquake-struck areas," Ishihara told reporters, according to news agencies.
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