Japanese foreign minister’s visit to China “open and honest” | World News

Japan’s foreign minister will visit Beijing for two days starting Saturday to discuss a range of issues, including the detention of an employee of Astellas Pharmaceuticals, the minister said.

Lin Yizheng told reporters he would meet Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang during his visit to “have frank discussions to build a constructive and stable relationship”.

The visit came after Japan, a close U.S. ally, announced plans to restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, aligning its technology trade with U.S. efforts to curb China’s ability to make advanced chips.

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Relations between the two countries have also been clouded by the case of a Japanese man employed by Astellas Pharma, who has been detained in China for unknown reasons, a company spokesman said this week.

According to media reports, the Japanese government has asked Chinese authorities to release the man.

“We plan to clarify our position on a range of issues, including these issues, during my visit to China,” Hayashi said Friday when asked if he would raise issues with Astellas employees and the release of water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Indicates a nuclear power plant.

Several of Japan’s neighbors have been alarmed by a plan by the Japanese utility responsible for operating the paralyzed nuclear power plant to dump more than 1 million tons of radioactive water from the plant into the sea.

Utilities and the Japanese government say the water, which is mainly used to cool the reactors after the 2011 tsunami knocked out the plant, has been treated, filtered and diluted and is safe.

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Lim’s visit follows talks between the two leaders in November, the first in nearly three years.

At the time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he had expressed concerns about China’s increased naval military presence, but also said the two leaders agreed to reopen channels of diplomatic communication, including a visit by Japan’s foreign minister to China in the near future.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a regular news briefing in Beijing that China considered Lin’s visit important and conducive to establishing friendly relations.

Mao Zedong said: “China and Japan are close neighbors, and maintaining a healthy and stable relationship between the two countries is in the common interests of the two countries and the region.”