Reuters

Japan’s Foreign Minister Calls for Early Release of Detained National During Talks in China

Pool Photo / The Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang shake hands in Beijing on Sunday.

Reuters

16:58 JST, April 2, 2023

TOKYO, April 2 (Reuters) – Japan’s foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said he called on Beijing for the early release of a detained Japanese national during a meeting with Chinese diplomat Qin Gang held on Sunday.

Hayashi is visiting China and met with his counterpart Qin, marking the first visit to Beijing for a Japanese government foreign minister in over three years, as the two countries seek common ground amid rising regional tension.

“I made a protest against the recent detention of a Japanese person in Beijing, and made a strong point of our position on the matter, including the early release of this national,” Hayashi said to reporters after his meeting with Qin.

He added that Japan is seeking transparency over the legal process regarding detentions, but did not elaborate on China’s reaction.

The visit comes a week after a spokesperson of Astellas Pharma Inc said its employee was detained in China for unknown reasons.