Japan may decide by as early as this afternoon whether to issue a visa to former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui, who wants to visit Japan later this month to undergo a medical checkup for his heart condition, government sources said Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Yohei Kono, who is responsible for decisions on visa issuances to foreign visitors, met with Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori twice about the matter on Tuesday, but apparently no final decision has yet been reached.
A senior ministry official said Kono's position -- and thus that of the entire ministry -- is that it is "inappropriate to approve (Lee's) visit to Japan at this time."