In the past few days, high-ranking government officials were willing to discuss the importance of keeping Hong Kong stable, prosperous and free. The city is particularly important to the future of Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, they said.
But when pressed by reporters, they have been tight-lipped about whether they support the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong and residents' calls for universal suffrage. This has raised suspicions they are afraid of upsetting Beijing.
The four high-ranking government officials contacted by The Japan Times, two who spoke publicly and two who spoke separately on condition of anonymity, responded exactly the same way: by ducking the question.