China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang urged Japan to refrain from supporting US efforts to suppress the Chinese semiconductor industry, while his counterpart pressed for the swift return of a Japanese citizen detained by Beijing.
During a meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi in Beijing on Sunday, Qin said a chip blockade will only strengthen Beijing’s resolve to achieve self-reliance, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
He added that China looks forward to working together for better bilateral relations, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
Hayashi’s visit to China’s capital is the first such trip by a top Tokyo diplomat in more than three years. It comes after China on March 31 condemned Japan’s introduction of restrictions on exports of 23 types of leading-edge chipmaking technologies. Japan tightened trade controls as its ally, the US, ratchets up efforts to limit Chinese access to key semiconductor knowhow.
Ties between Beijing and Tokyo have frayed in recent years as Japan joined US-led moves to counter China’s regional influence through institutions such as the Quad group, which includes Australia and India. Nonetheless, Japan has sought to maintain stable relations with its biggest trading partner.
Meanwhile concern is rising in Tokyo over the detention of an employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. in China. Hayashi protested the detention and urged that the man be released in his meeting with Qin, as well as in discussions with Premier Li Qiang and top diplomat Wang Yi, according to statements from Japan’s foreign ministry.
“When conducting business and people-to-people exchanges, it is extremely important to have an environment where Japanese citizens and companies are able to conduct activities free from anxiety,” he said. Seventeen Japanese have been detained in China since 2015, a foreign ministry official told parliament last week. Five are still in Chinese custody, of whom two have received sentences.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told lawmakers on Monday that his country would continue to call for the early release of the detained person.
The Asian neighbors face a raft of bilateral problems including a long-running standoff over disputed islands in the East China Sea. China has also expressed opposition to Japan’s plans to release treated waste waster from the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant into the ocean.
Hayashi’s visit follows an ice-breaking meeting between Kishida and President Xi Jinping in Bangkok in November. It also comes weeks before Japan hosts the Group of Seven summit, to which Kishida has invited a wide range of guest leaders from Asia and beyond, but not Xi.
Taiwan Issues
During the meeting, Qin also urged Japan to steer clear of issues related to Taiwan and keep away from those that could harm China’s sovereignty. Many officials in Japan, who view Taiwan’s stability as key to Tokyo’s security, have expressed fears that China may one day seize Taiwan by force.
“Peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation are the only right choice for China-Japan ties,” Qin said.
On March 31, the two governments announced they had finished setting up a military hotline aimed at building trust and avoiding unforeseen incidents.
Regarding the case of the pharmaceutical company’s employee detained in China over alleged espionage, Qin emphasized that the case will be handled according to the law. Hayashi said at a press conference Sunday that he urged China to quickly release the person.
