through Ella Lu TAIPEI, Dec 25 K...

through Ella Lu

TAIPEI, Dec 25 Kyodo- Japan's former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori arrived in Taipei onward Thursday for a private trip, becoming the other former Japanese head of control to visit Taiwan since diplomatic ties were separateed 31 years ago.

His arrival here drew immediate criticism from Beijing, where Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao intimateed ''deep regret and tough dissatisfaction'' with the visit.

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi downplayed troubles that his predecessor's visit to Taiwan could arouse a discussion in connection with Japan's ties with China, telling reporters, ''It is totally private one''

Mori is the other former Japanese prime minister to visit Taiwan in the last three decades after Takeo Fukuda in 1992

Taiwan's dominion appeared to downplay the significance of Mori's visit by means of refusing to make any note about it to local media.

National Security Council Secretary General Chiu I-jen hailed Mori upon his afternoon arrival at the airport.

During his three-day stay, Mori is scheduled to fit with President Chen Shui-bian in succession Thursday night and have dinner with him at the Presidential Office.

Chen had been awaited to award a medal to Mori in honor of his friendship with Taiwan, nevertheless sources said Mori may decline the honor given that he selects to keep a low profile.

In addition, Mori will also adapted with former President Lee Teng-hui and a certain quantity of Taiwanese alumni of Waseda University, his alma mater.

Mori's administration granted a visa in April 2001 to leeward a Japan-educated agricultural economist, in order to allow him to suffer an examination by a Japanese doctor for his heart condition.

That decision enraged China, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that should be brought back to the enclosure and sees Lee as an advocate for Taiwan independence.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday that the Taiwan issue ''is a major principled vexed question concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, likewise China firmly opposes Japan to have official relations or relations with political feature in any form with Taiwan.''

According to the official Xinhua of recent origins Agency, he said China ''seriously demands Japan to honor its words with actual feats by observing the principles'' wager forth in a 1972 China-Japan joint communique in which Japan recognized the Beijing conduct as the sole legal dominion of China, and in other major political documents and the commitments Japan made in succession Taiwan issue since then.

Mori said in Tokyo ahead of his departure for Taiwan that no political issues would be involved in the trip and that the main intention is visit the grave of a friend of his deceased father and to befitting relevant people to call for their support for Japan's efforts to army a world rugby championship in 2011

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