Japan lawmaker says Taiwan 'independent'

A China-born Japanese lawmaker sanctioned by Beijing arrived in Taipei on Tuesday, vowing to tell the world that "Taiwan is an independent country.

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Hei Seki, a member of Japan's parliament, was sanctioned in September by China and banned from entering the country for "spreading fallacies" on issues such as Taiwan, Hong Kong and disputed islands.

China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has an ongoing spat with Tokyo over islands in the East China Sea claimed by both countries, and considers foreign criticism on sensitive political topics to be acts of interference.