Japan Press Weekly

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2019 November 20 - 26 [POLITICS]

Abe government too chicken to criticize China over the situation in Hong Kong

The Japanese government is still unable to criticize China in regard to the current situation in Hong Kong where human rights are being ignored.

It may be because Prime Minister Abe in the June summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping promised that he will invite Xi to visit Japan next spring as a state guest. Another reason is that PM Abe may intend to give the impression that Japan-China relations are “back on track”.

The Abe government’s stance on the Hong Kong situation has been facing criticism even from lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. However, at a House of Councilors Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting on November 14, Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu said that it is doubtful that even if Japan takes a position to support either the protestors or the Hong Kong government and China, Japan will in any way contribute to settling the current situation.

Commenting on Motegi’s remark, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo said to the press that the foreign minister’s view represents the government’s unwillingness to criticize China. He went on to say that the Japanese government is closely watched to see if it will respond to the serious deterioration of the human rights situation in Hong Kong.

The JCP on November 14 published a statement calling for immediate cessation of suppression in Hong Kong and conveyed it to the Chinese government.

Past related article:
> JCP calls for immediate cessation of suppression in Hong Kong [November 15, 2019]