Former president Lee Teng-hui (
"We have learned from our channel that Japan is firm in its decision against issuing a visa for the ex-president, and Mr. Lee finally decided to drop his visiting plan for the time being," an aide said by telephone.
Japan's Senior Vice Foreign Minister Tetsuro Yano said on Thursday the Japanese government had no intention of granting Lee the visa due to the "series of confusion" surrounding his planned visit.
"It is very difficult to treat it as simply a private trip," Yano said.
Lee was originally invited by a student club of Keio University to give a speech marking the anniversary of the university's founding on Nov. 24 during the Mita Festival.
China, however, warned Japan against granting Lee the visa, saying it strongly opposes such a visit in any form by Lee.
Under pressure from China, the university later claimed its anniversary celebrations would not include a speech by Lee, giving Japan's foreign ministry an excuse to refuse the visa on the ground that no such speech was arranged.
President Chen Shui-bian (
"He [Lee] is no longer a president, but a civilian, who is entitled to the freedom of travel," he said on Thursday, adding Japan should allow Lee to visit.
Naoto Kan of Japan's opposition Democratic Party joined in criticizing the decision by asking his government to reconsider.
Tokyo's granting of a visa for Lee to visit for medical treatment in April last year also led to China's cancelling of high-level economic exchanges with Japan.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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