Japan, Taiwan, China: Beijing threatens retaliation over visit

Story dated 05 January 2005

The Chinese autocrats continue to act like spoiled children. For those of you who are unaware, Japan has committed the unforgivable act of not letting China decide who Japan, a sovereign state, should allow to visit their country. Lee Teng-hui is the former president of Taiwan, a Japanophile, and a strong proponent of Taiwanese independence. "Lee apparently did nothing political in Japan on the Dec 27-Jan 2 trip. He visited a Kyoto temple, called on a professor from his alma mater in Kyoto and paid tribute to a Japanese author." However, this did not keep China from being offended. "Liu Jianchao, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted on The People's Daily website as expressing China's "strong dissatisfaction" with Lee's trip... "Lee Teng-hui is the chief representative of radical separatist forces on Taiwan." "On the global stage, he is every inch a trouble maker"... He said allowing Lee to visit Japan sent the wrong signal to Taiwan's pro-independence forces and was a step that "severely disturbed the political foundation of Sino-Japanese ties". Quite personally, I think that Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan should form a defense/trade confederacy. If China's going to be upset anyway, they might as well do something of political substance. Also, in a move sure to upset the Chinese even more, Japan will consider the Dalai Lama's visa request when he makes it -- the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader "is expected to visit Japan in April to speak at a symposium on international cooperation and peace." For those of you who are unaware, China labeled Tibet a 'historic Chinese kingdom', conquered it, exiled its leaders, and continues to repress the culture of its people. China would, of course, be offended if Japan allowed one of Tibet's exiled leaders to visit. Nice people, those Chinese autocrats.
---------China won't forgive Japan for Lee visit

posted by The Sovereign Editor | 2:41 PM

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