China says Japan citizen arrested for spying will be treated according to law

Beijing, Apr 2 (EFE).- A Japanese citizen held on espionage charges in China will be dealt with “according to the law”, foreign minister Qin Gang told his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi in Beijing on Sunday.

Hayashi’s two-day visit to China, the first by a Japanese foreign minister in more than three years, comes a month after an employee of the Japanese pharmaceutical company Astellas was arrested on spying allegations.

During a press conference at the Japanese embassy in Beijing, foreign affairs ministry spokeswoman Yukiko Okana said Japan wanted transparency in the judicial proceedings, saying the Chinese authorities have not provided them with a detailed explanation regarding the detention.

“Today’s world is full of turmoil, and China-Japan relations have both opportunities and challenges,” Qin said, according to a foreign ministry statement.

China’s top diplomat urged Japan to demonstrate “political wisdom and responsibility” in working with China to strengthen dialogue, manage differences, remove obstacles and reduce burdens on bilateral relations.

“The peaceful coexistence and friendly cooperation are the only correct choices,” he added, hoping Japan would “establish a correct understanding of China.”

On the release of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, Qin said it was a question of people’s health and safety and that Japan should handle it responsibly.

Qin said the United States was using “bullying tactics” against China on the Taiwan issue and urged Japan not to interfere or “undermine China’s sovereignty in any form.”

Issues related to the Chinese regions of Hong Kong and Xinjiang were also discussed, Okana said, without giving further information.EFE

This year marks the 45th anniversary of signing the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. EFE

gbm/smq