TOKYO: Japan’s foreign minister called on his Chinese counterpart to take steps to improve the human rights conditions of Uighurs and stop repression in Hong Kong, according to a Japanese official report of a call among officials.
The unusually strong message from Tokyo comes shortly before Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga travels to the US to hold a summit with President Biden on April 16.
Japan is usually wary of angering Beijing, which is its largest trading partner. Tokyo is a close ally of Washington, but did not join the United States and several other nations in March to impose sanctions on China for its repression of its Uighur Muslim majority.
During Monday’s 90-minute phone call, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also expressed concern with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi about the continued presence of Chinese Coast Guard armed ships in the East China Sea islands controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing.
In a statement after the call, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Mr. Wang was opposed to Japan’s interference in matters related to the Xinjiang region, where rights groups have cracked down on Uighurs, and Hong Kong, and urged Japan to respect China’s internal affairs.