Japan's main opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa headed to China yesterday, upstaging the prime minister amid a deadlock in the divided parliament over support for the US-led "war on terror."
Ozawa is expected to meet with President Hu Jintao (
The visit comes before an expected first trip to China by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, a veteran centrist who took over in September and is known for his advocacy of warmer relations with Beijing.
Fukuda subtly criticized Ozawa's visit. The prime minister has been pushing for the opposition-led upper house to pass a bill by the end of parliament's session on Dec. 15 to resume a naval mission supporting US-led forces in Afghanistan.
"Does this mean he doesn't feel any pressure?" Fukuda asked about Ozawa. "I have nothing to say as long as they pass the bill without any problems."
Nobutaka Machimura, the chief spokesman for Fukuda's Liberal Democratic Party-led (LDP) government, was more open about his displeasure.
"So many of his party members left the country when the parliament session is coming to an important stage in debate. The LDP would have never allowed it," he said. "The LDP has better principles, better standards of judgment."
Ozawa is accompanied by 44 members of his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), including his deputy Naoto Kan, along with some 400 members of the public invited for a grassroots exchange, a party official said.
Ozawa, who has visited China annually since 1989 with his exchange program, said to reporters ahead of his departure only: "I've done this every year."
Relations with China have become a major political issue in Japan, with business leaders expressing concern about upsetting the country's largest commercial partner.
China cut off all high-level dialogue with Japan during the premiership of Junichiro Koizumi, who infuriated Beijing and Seoul by visiting a shrine to war dead associated with Japan's past militarism.
Koizumi's successor, Shinzo Abe, despite a conservative ideology and past support for the Yasukuni shrine, moved to repair ties with China during his one-year tenure, which was marred by domestic scandals and an election defeat.
Fukuda has pledged not to visit the shrine, saying the pilgrimage was needlessly provocative.
Ozawa went ahead with the visit even though DPJ secretary- general Yukio Hatoyama last month met Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and expressed support for his cause.
Fukuda's government refused to see the Nobel peace laureate, whose visits overseas are regularly condemned by China.
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