Japan-China Foreign Ministers Talk... Urge Resolution of Hong Kong and Uighur Issues

▲Motegi Toshimitsu, Japanese Foreign Minister (right), and Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Japanese government has demanded that the Chinese government improve the human rights situation of the Uyghur people and stop the suppression in Hong Kong.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 5th (local time), Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu expressed "deep concern" during a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi regarding the entry of Chinese vessels into the Senkaku Islands (Chinese name Diaoyu Islands) waters, the Hong Kong issue, and human rights issues in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Motegi also strongly urged Wang Yi to "take concrete actions."

This unusually strong message from Japan has attracted attention as it comes ahead of the summit between Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and U.S. President Joe Biden scheduled for the 16th.

On the same day, both Japan and China reportedly discussed various regional issues and agreed to cooperate on resolving the recent Myanmar situation, as well as responding to COVID-19 and climate change.

This was the first dialogue between the foreign ministers of Japan and China in about four months since Wang Yi visited Japan for talks in late November last year.

In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement opposing Japan's interference in the Uyghur and Hong Kong-related issues and urged Japan to respect China's internal affairs.

According to the statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan was warned "not to be influenced by countries with prejudices against China."

It also added, "Japan should not forget that while it has an alliance with the United States, it also has a peace and friendship treaty with China."

Meanwhile, the Senkaku Islands are a disputed area that Japan effectively controls but China claims sovereignty over. Japan has protested that China repeatedly infringes on its sovereignty in the surrounding waters by deploying coast guard vessels.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.