Press Conferences

Press Conference by Deputy Press Secretary Toshihide Ando

Wednesday, July 19, 2017, 4:33 p.m. Ministry of Foreign Affairs

This is a provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only.
Japanese

Opening Remarks

Summer Safety Campaign for Overseas Traveling

Mr. Toshihide Ando, Foreign Deputy Press Secretary: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) will implement the “Summer Safety Campaign for Overseas Traveling” from today through August 31.
The number of people traveling to overseas locations for summer vacation and other purposes increases during this period. Our campaign will broadly promote the following “Three Steps before Traveling Abroad” to Japanese people: 1) check information about the travel destination ahead of time on MOFA’s Overseas Safety Homepage, 2) register on the Tabi-Regi, and 3) act cautiously and calmly with the mindset of being overseas and needing to be prepared for different types of dangers compared to those in Japan.
As part of the campaign, MOFA has arranged an event to hand out the “Golgo 13 Overseas Safety Manual for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises” at Haneda Airport on Saturday, July 22 with the aim of raising awareness of overseas safety measures. Mr. Masaki Noke, Assistant Minister Director-General, Consular Affairs Bureau, MOFA and Passpo-Kun, Japan’s passport mascot character, will attend the event.
Through this campaign, MOFA hopes to promote further use of Tabi-Regi for overseas travel registration and the Overseas Safety Homepage, and to raise awareness among Japanese people for taking safety measures.

Movements by Chinese Government Vessels

Jiji Press, Ichikawa: I believe there have been a number of incidents of Chinese warships and government vessels entering Japan’s territorial waters in areas other than around the Senkaku Islands this month. Please explain the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ reaction to this series of actions and whether it has expressed protests or concerns to the Chinese Government.

Foreign Deputy Press Secretary Ando: Japan expressed its concern in this situation to the Chinese side through diplomatic channels following notification from the Japan Coast Guard that confirmed the activity. While I would like to refrain from discussing details, Japan communicated that it is monitoring the situation in light of recent activity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware that China has been rapidly expanding its maritime activities both in quality and quantity in recent years and has confirmed the presence of many Chinese naval warships and naval and air force planes in waters and air space around Japan.
The Ministry is appropriately expressing its concern in the full range of these recent Chinese activities through diplomatic channels and in other ways.

Jiji Press, Ichikawa: This is related. Given the incursions into territorial waters, why is Japan just expressing its concern rather than protesting or making some other statement?

Foreign Deputy Press Secretary Ando: In this case, Japan currently has not obtained definitive information from the navigation situation that this activity was not seen as innocent passage. Japan expressed concern to the Chinese side in light of this aspect.

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