Press Releases
Demarche by Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs AKIBA Takeo to Chinese Ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou
1. On May 28, Mr. AKIBA Takeo, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, summoned Mr. Kong Xuanyou, Ambassador of China to Japan, and made a demarche on following points.
(1) Japan is seriously concerned about the decision made by China’s National People’s Congress regarding policies toward Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in the midst of strong concerns expressed from the international community and the people of Hong Kong and about the situation concerned in Hong Kong.
(2) Hong Kong is an extremely important partner for Japan with which Japan maintains close economic ties and people-to-people exchanges. It is the long-standing policy of Japan to attach great importance to upholding a free and open system which Hong Kong has been enjoying and the democratic and stable development of Hong Kong under the ‘One Country Two System’ framework.
2. In response, Ambassador Kong mentioned that this is the issue regarding China’s national security, and stated China’s position on the matter, to which Vice-Minister Akiba conveyed Japan’s concerns once again and sought an appropriate response from the Chinese side.