Japan Urged Not to Allow Lee Teng-hui to VisitChina is resolutely opposed to the planned visit to Japan by Lee Teng-hui in any name and hopes the Japanese side will take a clear and definite attitude to prevent Lee's from going to Japan, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Monday.China has made its stand clear to the Japanese side through diplomatic channels, Zhang said while answering questions concerning the matter. Zhang said that Lee made up the "two-state" theory and is the chief backstage supporter of the "Taiwan independence" forces, and he is still engaged in activities aimed at separating China on various occasions. Judging from his recent words and deeds, it is obvious Lee can by no means be regarded as an "ordinary citizen," she said. Zhang said that Lee has long been seeking to visit Japan and his purpose is to break the framework of the relations between Japan and Taiwan and to seek support to "Taiwan independence" he has been advocating. The so-called Japan visit by Lee for medical reasons is purely an excuse, which people in Japan and Taiwan are very clear about, Zhang said, adding that the medical circles in Taiwan hold the view that there is no need at all for Lee to go thus far to Japan to seek medical advice. Zhang said what needs special attention is the fact that this time the Taiwan authorities have come to the fore to support Lee, claiming that whether Lee, "the former president," can make the trip or not is "an issue of the whole state," and it is their duty to spare no efforts to secure Lee's visit to Japan. Chen Shuibian has personally asked the Japanese side to allow Lee to visit Japan, Zhang said. The above facts have shown that Lee's planned visit to Japan can by no means be interpreted as a trip of "an ordinary citizen", nor is it "a matter of humanitarianism," Zhang said. It is a hundred percent political issue. Zhang said that the Taiwan issue concerns the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations and that the Japanese government is under obligation to adhere to the one-China principle. She said that China hopes the Japanese side will abide by the principles of the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and Sino-Japanese Joint Declaration, take a clear and definite attitude to prevent Lee from going to Japan, and stop doing things that harm the bilateral ties and hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. |
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