G20: activists call on world leaders in Osaka to press Xi Jinping on Hong Kong freedoms – and thank Shinzo Abe for already raising the issue

Japanese prime minister Abe raises issues of Hong Kong and Xinjiang during meeting with Xi on Thursday

Andy Chan, from banned Hong Kong National Party, thanks Japanese leader and asks other leaders to follow suit

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President Xi Jinping (left) with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of their talks in Osaka. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:11pm, 28 Jun 2019Updated: 5:19pm, 28 Jun 2019

Several Hong Kong activists gathered in Osaka on Friday, calling for world leaders to mention the city’s freedom when meeting President Xi Jinping, as one demonstrator thanked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for speaking up.

Japan’s foreign press secretary and official spokesman for the G20 conference Takeshi Osuga said Abe had raised the issues of Hong Kong and Xinjiang during a meeting with Xi on Thursday.

“The prime minister pointed out the importance of [maintaining] a free, open and prosperous Hong Kong under the ‘one country, two systems’ formula with the recent extradition bill situation in mind,” Osuga said.

Andy Chan Ho-tin, convenor of the banned Hong Kong National Party, thanked Abe for raising the issue.

“I am looking forward to other leaders doing the same and speaking up for Hong Kong people. I’d also like to thank the Japanese people for supporting Hong Kong,” the pro-independence activist said.

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