Foreign Minister Yohei Kono hinted Friday that Japan would issue a visa to the Dalai Lama, saying the spiritual leader's visa application would be screened "according to the due procedures of law." His comments were taken to indicate that Tokyo would not allow any political considerations regarding China-Tibet relations to affect the visa proceedings. China has urged Japan not to grant the Dalai Lama a visa for his planned visit in April, warning that the Tibetan's trip, if realized, would harm bilateral ties. "If the visa application (from the Dalai Lama) has been made following required procedures, the government will only review it according to due procedures of law," Kono told a regular news conference. after the day's Cabinet meeting. On Thursday in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao described the Dalai Lama as a "political exile who has, for a long time, undertaken activities to split the motherland under the cloak of religion." Zhu said Japan must "honor its commitment to the Chinese government by not allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Japan, in order to avoid creating a new obstruction to bilateral relations." On Wednesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Mikio Aoki confirmed that the government received a visa application from the Dalai Lama. Aoki said the Dalai Lama's relationship with Beijing is an internal matter for China and will not be a factor in Tokyo's decision on whether to grant him a visa. Buddhist groups have said the Dalai Lama, the leader of Tibet's Yellow Hat Buddhists now in exile in India, plans to visit Kyoto and Tokyo for eight days in April.
