Japan's foreign minister urges China to release detained national

2/4/2023 19:42

        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.
        
        Hayashi said to reporters after his meeting with Qin,"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."
        
        He added that Japan is seeking transparency over the legal process regarding detentions, but did not elaborate on China's reaction.