His visa was the result of a much-disputed discussion within the Japanese government on whether to grant him the necessary travel permit, since China had pressured Tokyo to reject the request. The visa was issued after a late night meeting last Friday between outgoing Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and his foreign minister, Yohei Kono, who was opposed to Lee's trip. But Lee's visit could not have come at a worse time for Japan-China relations. Bilateral ties were being strained by a trade spat over surging imports of cheap Chinese vegetables and textiles. Still more damaging has been a row over a high school history textbook that had been approved by Japan's education ministry.
Critics say glosses over the country's war record.
Beijing must also be angry with Japan for its role in a recent military standoff with the United States. The U.S. spy plane that collided with a Chinese fighter jet was based in Japan's southern island of Okinawa. The incident underscores the security alliance between Washington and Tokyo that draws Beijing's anger.