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Japan watching Hong Kong situation with ‘deep concern’, Shinzo Abe says
- Tokyo did not sign a joint statement with the US and UK criticising the new law
- But Abe said Japan had expressed its concern and said it was important for the Hong Kong’s ‘one country, two systems’ mode of governance to be upheld
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Japan is watching the situation in Hong Kong with “deep concern” after China passed a new security law for the city, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday, and stressed the importance of steps that upheld the principle of the city’s one country, two systems mode of governance.
His comments followed a Kyodo news agency report on Sunday that cited officials of Britain, the United States and other countries as saying Japan had decided not to join them in issuing a statement scolding China for the new law, which could endanger Hong Kong’s special autonomy and freedoms.
But Tokyo was deeply concerned, Abe told parliament.
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“Hong Kong is an extremely important partner in terms of both tight economic ties and human relations, and it is important that the original system of ‘one nation, two systems’ be upheld and things proceed stably and democratically,” he said.
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Japan expressed concern about Beijing’s move in a statement on May 28, the day China passed the law, and called in the Chinese ambassador to convey its view.
A government source familiar with the matter said Japan did not participate in the joint statement partly because of “rather short notice” and partly in order to focus on efforts by the Group of Seven nations, rather than the signatories.
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