TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese embassy staff in Beijing have met the Japanese Astellas Pharma businessman who Chinese authorities detained in late March, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Wednesday.
Hayashi confirmed that Japanese embassy staff met the man on Tuesday afternoon. He declined to give further details of the meeting but confirmed that the detained man, who has not been publicly identified, had no health issues.
“We will continue to strongly urge China to swiftly release this detained man, using various (diplomatic) levels and opportunities,” Hayashi said in Brussels after attending a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has demanded the release of the man, who is in his 50s. The foreign ministry has said it has received no explanation from China for the detention.
Hayashi travelled to Beijing on Sunday to meet his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, and appealed in person for the release of the Japanese national.
Qin responded that China “will handle (the case) according to the law”, according to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Josie Kao)
