Japan opposition lawmaker Seki visits Taiwan after sanctioned by China

Barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao under the sanctions imposed last September, Seki said upon arriving at a Taipei airport that the Communist-led People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, as Taiwan calls itself, are "two completely different countries." Seki said the purpose of his visit is to demonstrate that Taiwan is "an independent country" and to convey that message to the international community. China also cited Seki's visit to the war-linked Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo after being elected to the upper house as a reason for the sanctions.