China has demanded that Japan immediately repeal its decision to
issue a visa to former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui.
"Lee Teng-hui is a symbol of aggressive forces of 'Taiwan
independence,'" said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao at
Thursday's regular press conference.
Japan announced the same day that it would grant a visa to Lee
as a private citizen for a "sightseeing trip."
Liu said China does not consider the visit to be private.
Rather, it is to seek backing for "Taiwan independence" and create
external conditions for speeding independence activities.
"Japan's agreeing to allow him (Lee) to visit is itself a
challenge to China's unification efforts and is a type of support
for and indulgence of Taiwan's independence forces."
China has warned Japan that allowing the visit will harm
bilateral relations.
Lee, leader of the Taiwan authority from 1988 to 2000, last
visited Japan in 2001. Then-Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka admitted
that Lee's visit at that time was not merely for personal or
humanitarian reasons.
Before stepping down in 1999, Lee redefined the island's ties
with the mainland as special "state-to-state" relations.
The Japanese government claims Lee has promised he will not
engage in political activities during his stay, but Lee's success
in applying to visit Japan itself is widely seen as a political
action.
Turning to the Tokyo High Court's rejection of a claim
for damages from four Chinese women forced to serve as
sex slaves for the Japanese army during World War II, Liu said that
Japan should handle issues left over from history in a responsible
manner.
Liu said the conscription of what Japan euphemistically calls
"comfort women" was a grave crime committed by Japanese militarists
during World War II against victimized countries, including
China.
On Wednesday, the high court ruled that the government was not
liable for damages caused by state authorities under Japan's
previous constitution.
Research indicates that at least 200,000 Chinese and other Asian
women were forced to serve as sex slaves by Japanese forces during
the war.
China appreciates the efforts Britain, France and Germany have
made in addressing the Iran nuclear issue and welcomes the
agreement reached between the three countries and Iran. China hopes
that negotiations will proceed smoothly and a long-term resolution
soon reached.
Iran and the European trio resumed the talks in Brussels on
Monday to discuss the implementation of the Paris Agreement the
parties concluded on November 7.
China supports Mohamed ElBaradei's bid for a third term as
director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
Liu said.
"He has promoted the development of peaceful utilization of
nuclear energy and is widely acclaimed by the international
community," Liu said.
ElBaradei, 62, took the helm of the IAEA in 1997 and his current
term will expire in 2005.
The next round of six-party talks has been stalled by
disagreements between the United States and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (DPRK).
China hopes the US and the DPRK can settle their differences so
the talks can move forward, and will continue working to bring all
parties back to the table.
China's ambassador to the UN, Wang Guangya, recently visited
Chinese police working as part of a peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has sent
152 anti-riot peacekeeping policemen to Haiti at the request of the
UN.
At the invitation of Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing, Hoshyar Zebari, foreign minister of the Iraqi interim
government, will come to China on December 22 to discuss Sino-Iraqi
relations, the situation in Iraq and other issues.
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, CRI.com December 17,
2004)