TAIPEI (Kyodo) Former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui will postpone a visit to Japan that he hoped to make in May, possibly until autumn, because of problems with his health, sources said Tuesday.
Lee, 83, was hospitalized from March 19 to 24 for a cold. He was later diagnosed with mild pneumonia and fatigue, the sources said, adding that doctors told him to rest for about three months.
An aide to the former president has confirmed that recent reports about his health were correct and said his condition is "stable." He also said Lee's visit to Japan may be shortened.
The former Taiwan leader last visited Japan in late 2004 on a weeklong tour of Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Nagoya and Kyoto. Japan's decision to grant Lee a visa at the time sparked protests from Beijing, which considers the self-governing island a renegade province.