Japanese foreign minister raises 'serious concerns' over China's military activities

Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi on December 25 raised "serious concerns" about China's military buildup, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

During his first visit to China since taking up the post of Japanese foreign minister in October, Foreign Minister Iwaya told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Tokyo was "closely monitoring the situation in Taiwan and recent military developments," according to AFP, citing a statement from the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

Mr. Takeshi Iwaya in Tokyo on November 11, 2024

During his meeting with Mr. Wang in Beijing, Mr. Iwaya also “expressed serious concerns about the situation in the East China Sea, including around the Senkaku Islands, and China’s increasing military activity,” according to Japan’s Foreign Ministry. China calls the Senkaku Islands Diaoyu.

Iwaya also called for the "quick release" of Japanese citizens detained by Chinese authorities. "The ambiguity surrounding the anti-espionage law is causing Japanese people to think twice before visiting China," Iwaya warned.

On the other hand, the two foreign ministers agreed to make efforts to have Mr. Wang visit Japan "at the earliest possible time next year," according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

China's foreign ministry said in a statement that the meeting between Mr. Wang and Mr. Iwaya in Japan would take place "at an appropriate time," without mentioning discussions about Beijing's military activities or the detention of Japanese citizens.

Earlier, Mr. Iwaya met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and agreed to build a "constructive and stable" relationship, according to Kyodo News.

Noting that China-Japan relations are at an important stage of improvement and development, Li stressed that China is willing to work with Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and promote the sustainable and healthy development of bilateral relations, according to Xinhua.

Mr. Li stressed that China and Japan are close neighbors that cannot be separated from each other, and the two countries have pledged to become cooperative partners instead of threatening each other.

China and Japan are each other's major trading partners, but rising tensions over disputed territories and military spending have strained bilateral ties in recent years, AFP reported.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ngoai-truong-nhat-neu-quan-ngai-nghiem-trong-ve-hoat-dong-quan-su-cua-trung-quoc-18524122519011887.htm