Japan's top representative in Shanghai urged China's most populous city to address concerns of Japanese businesses over losses and other disruptions caused by lockdowns aimed at containing a COVID-19 surge.
Consul General Shuichi Akamatsu's letter, posted on the consulate's website on Saturday, comes as most of Shanghai's 25 million residents remain under strict lockdowns that have hobbled economic activity in the financial center. The city reported a record 3,590 symptomatic cases on Saturday.
The U.S. State Department on Monday ordered non-emergency U.S. government workers to leave the consulate due to surging virus numbers and China's measures to control its spread.