Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji is likely to visit Japan in October but will not pay a visit before July's Group of Eight summit, Liberal Democratic Party Secretary General Yoshiro Mori said Thursday, quoting Chinese Ambassador to Japan Chen Jian.
Chen visited Mori at the LDP's headquarters in Tokyo and said Zhu does not want his visit to Japan to have anything to do with the G8 summit in Okinawa Prefecture, Mori told reporters.
The ambassador's remark followed comments by Zhu on the subject on Wednesday in Beijing. "I am preparing to visit Japan this year, but my visit has no relation to the G8 summit," he said.
The Japanese government wants Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan to visit Tokyo in the spring and Zhu to visit around June so that Japan can relay China's concerns to the other G8 countries during the July 21-23 summit in Nago.
If Zhu visits Japan in October, Tang may visit in the summer, government sources said.
Chen also told Mori that the Japanese government should oppose a plan to invite Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui to Japan after he steps down as Taiwan president, Mori said.
Lee "will continue to have an influence on Taiwan after his political retirement, and allowing him to visit Japan will harm the friendship between China and Japan," Chen was quoted as saying.
Mori said he told the Chinese ambassador he has not heard of any such plan except through media reports.
Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara and some LDP leaders reportedly intend to invite Lee to Japan after he steps down as president following Saturday's presidential election in Taiwan.