Japan’s foreign minister has urged China to release detained nationals, Reuters reported today. Lin Fangzheng’s meeting with Qin Gang was the first visit to Beijing by a Japanese foreign minister in more than three years, as China and Japan seek common ground amid heightened regional tensions.
An employee of Astellas Pharmaceuticals was detained in China for unknown reasons, a Japanese company spokesman said a week ago. At least 16 other Japanese have been detained in China since 2015 on suspicion of espionage, Kyodo News reported.
Lin Fangzheng reported, “I protested the recent detention of a Japanese national in Beijing and emphasized our position on the matter, including the early release of this national.” Lin Fangzheng said Japan was seeking laws on the detention Transparency of procedures and require China to ensure a fair and safe business environment. He did not elaborate on China’s response.
Japan’s foreign minister said he conveyed Tokyo’s serious concerns over increased Chinese military activity, including China’s close relationship with Russia and China’s maritime presence in the East China Sea. Lin Fangzheng said, “We have all confirmed the importance of continuing dialogue on issues such as national security.”
Lin Fangzheng said he talked with Qin Gang about “the importance of ensuring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.” Qin Gang warned Japan “not to interfere in any form with the Taiwan issue or damage China’s sovereignty,” Beijing said, emphasizing that Taiwan was “the core of China’s core interests.”
Qin Gang warned Japan today to “not associate with bad guys” after Tokyo followed the United States in announcing export restrictions on semiconductor manufacturing equipment on Friday. But Lin Fangzheng told reporters the restrictions were “not targeting any particular country”.