Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Sunday he had lodged a strong protest during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart over China's recent detention of a Japanese businessman and called for the citizen to be released as soon as possible.
Hayashi told reporters following the meeting with Qin Gang that he also sought consular access to the Japanese citizen and urged China to provide transparency in the judicial process. The businessman, arrested in China last month, is a senior employee of Japanese pharmaceutical firm Astellas Pharma.
Hayashi added that he and Qin had agreed to maintain close communication "at all levels" to improve ties, including between leaders and foreign ministers.