3RD LD: Ex-Taiwan President Lee arrives in Japan, to visit Yasukuni

TOKYO, May 30 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING CHINA'S REACTION, ABE'S COMMENT, MORE REMARKS BY LEE, ADDING OTHER DETAILS)

Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui arrived in Japan on Wednesday for an 11-day stay with an itinerary that he said includes a visit to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo where his elder brother is enshrined.

Lee, 84, went to Tokyo after arriving at Narita International Airport in his first visit to the Japanese capital in 22 years. Beijing criticized the Japanese government for allowing the former Taiwan leader to make a visit.

On his third visit to Japan since he stepped down as Taiwan president in May 2000, Lee is expected to give his first speech in Tokyo as well as a news conference and to visit five prefectures to follow in the footsteps of 17th century haiku master Matsuo Basho.

On board a flight operated by Taiwan's China Airlines before his arrival, Lee spoke to Japanese reporters and said of his plan to visit Yasukuni, ''It could be the last visit to Japan in my life. My older brother is enshrined there. As his brother, I cannot bear not to pay a tribute.''

His visit to Yasukuni could irritate Beijing, which sees the shrine as a symbol of Japan's militarist past.

In Tokyo, Lee said, ''It would be wrong for China to direct (the brunt of criticism) to me on the Yasukuni issue.'' He stressed it would be a private visit.

The Japanese government was apparently not aware he would be making his Yasukuni visit public in advance. A source close to Japan-Taiwan relations said close attention will be paid to the visit.

Lee also said his visit has no political bearing, saying, ''I will not be meeting any Japanese politicians.'' He is accompanied by his wife Tseng Wen-fui, a granddaughter and his doctor.

China has lodged a protest against Lee's Japan trip. Li Weiyi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, said Wednesday that Japan ''should not give pro-Taiwan independence forces a stage for activities.''

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe brushed off the same day speculation that Lee's Yasukuni visit may adversely affect Japan-China ties.

''We recognize former President Lee has come to Japan as a private person. As a private person, needless to say, he has freedom of religion. Japan is a free country,'' Abe said, adding that it is up to him to decide on a visit.

Lee last visited Tokyo in 1985 on his way back from a trip to Latin America when he was vice president of Taiwan. After visiting Tokyo's waterfront area on Wednesday, Lee said, ''I was surprised to see an area of sea formerly change into a beautiful subcenter (of the capital).''

Asked if he would be making another visit shortly to attend a gathering to be held in remembrance of the late Japanese lawmaker Motoo Shiina in Tokyo on June 20, Lee said, ''I was planning to go but it may be difficult if I get really tired after the trip this time.''

Tokyo's top government spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki reiterated that Japan's ''one-China policy'' remains unchanged.

''I have been told that his visit this time is for the purpose of sightseeing with his family as well as academic and cultural exchange,'' the chief Cabinet secretary said at a news conference. ''Of course, our country's stance regarding Taiwan remains as it is under the Japan-China joint communique and will not be affected in any way by the visit of Mr. Lee Teng-hui.''

Since stepping down in 2000, Lee came to Japan in April 2001 for heart treatment in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, and in late 2004 when he made a weeklong tour of Kanazawa, Nagoya and Kyoto.

During the current trip he plans to visit the prefectures of Miyagi, Yamagata, Iwate, Akita and Tochigi to follow the path of Matso Basho (1644-1694) as written about in his work ''Oku No Hosomichi,'' based on a five-month walking journey.

He grew up under Japanese rule in Taiwan and developed an affinity for Japan even before he went to study at Kyoto Imperial University, currently known as Kyoto University.

Beijing regards Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory to be reunited with the mainland, by military force if necessary.

Japan switched diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing in 1972.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Kyodo News International, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning