Japan to stop visas for Lee Teng-hui
( 2001-05-19 13:59 ) (7 )

Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka has assured China that Japan will issue no more visas to Lee Teng-hui, Japanese media said Saturday.

Tanaka gave the assurance in a telephone conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan earlier this month, Kyodo news agency quoted ministry sources as saying.

In the conversation on May 7, Tanaka criticised former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori for approving the visa for Lee, Kyodo said.

"It (Lee's visit) was decided by the former cabinet in its final days without obtaining the full consent of the people. That cannot happen in the future," Tanaka was quoted as saying by the ministry sources.

China urged official confirmation from Japan that it will not issue another visa to Lee when Tanaka visits Beijing next week for a meeting of Asian and European foreign ministers, Kyodo quoted the sources as saying.