Evacuation of Wuhan! Behind the scenes February 6 12:24

Pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus soaring in China.
For the first time in history, the Japanese government dispatched charter aircraft for infectious diseases and implemented evacuation plans for approximately 700 Japanese in Wuhan.
"Return all applicants to Japan"
How was the ongoing operation performed?
An interview with diplomats pushed him behind the scenes.
(Shin Watanabe, Yutaro Yamamoto, Hiroshi Takashima)

"Skip the rescue plane"

"The government is preparing to fly the" rescue aircraft "beneath the surface."
The call came in at noon on Sunday, January 26.

Following the de facto blockade of Wuhan, Hubei, China, the Japanese government has evacuated Japanese residents there.

Immediately started checking coverage. In the evening, we reported, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consulted with the Chinese government to evacuate Japanese people in the area, and also operates charter aircraft."

Approximately one hour later, Prime Minister Abe told reporters, "I will pursue all means including charter aircraft and return all applicants to Japan."

The whole government has begun to take action to implement the evacuation plan.

"Maybe impossible ..." Still dispatch

When did the government seriously consider evacuation by charter aircraft?

According to several government officials, on January 23 (Thursday), when public transportation in Wuhan was suspended and Wuhan was virtually blocked, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set up an ANA on a regular route to the site. On the other hand, he asked under the water that he might ask for a charter aircraft.

The ANA said, "I will do it in that case."

However, just after 2:00 pm on Friday the following day, a foreign ministry official urgently stressed the situation of the local Japanese people, saying to reporters that "nobody said they couldn't escape Wuhan." It seems that he did not regard this as an emergency.
However, after that evening, evacuation considerations began to take shape at once.

A report from JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), which has a base in the country, understands that the number of people who wish to return to Japan has increased among the people involved in Japanese companies that have entered the country.

Japanese who stayed directly in the Japanese embassy in Beijing received information such as "I went to the hospital and the Japanese were turned away without treatment" and "I want the government to support my return to Japan" Brought intermittently.

On the net, videos of pneumonia patients lining up in local hospitals were being spread. The news that the construction of a large hospital had begun with a rush of work also signaled that the situation would be even more serious and heightened the sense of crisis within the government.

So how do you support local Japanese returning to Japan?
A foreign ministry official on Wednesday said, “The local airport is closed and there are no controllers. The aircraft may be impossible. I can not use it because all land and highways are blocked.” We revealed the situation that was almost full.

However, with the spread of the infection and information that the United States is planning to evacuate by charter aircraft, some members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are calling for a quick response.

Only airplanes can evacuate 700 Japanese people and quarantine them in groups when returning home. The government has accelerated negotiations with the Chinese government.

From 25th (Sat) to 26th (Sun), relevant ministries and agencies met under the Cabinet Secretariat, discussed intermittently the acceptance system, and considered measures to prevent the spread of infection in Japan.

At 2:00 pm on Wednesday, another Foreign Ministry official said, "The Chinese government has not yet said" Yeah, but Japan will definitely evacuate. "

"Because I carry a mask, I will take a charter plane"

The evening of the 26th. Immediately after Prime Minister Abe's statement, Foreign Minister Mogi instructed the secretariat to have an immediate telephone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

And he himself went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Chinese government, at the request of the Japanese side, began a telephone talk at 9 pm. In this interview, one part of the contents exchanged by telephone was clarified.

Motegi: "I have to say my first visit. It's a difficult situation, but I want you to say anything I can. I'll do anything in Japan. My friend who was in trouble is my best friend."

Wang Yi: "Thank you. You are the first foreign minister to have a telephone talk in response to this situation. In fact, there are very few masks on site."

Motegi: "It's a mask. I'll send it right away. If anything is missing, tell me anything. In fact, I'm sending a Japanese diplomat from Beijing to Wuhan, but I've heard it's been blocked. I hope that you will be included in Wuhan.

Wang Yi "I understand"

Motegi: "When it comes to carrying relief supplies such as masks, we need an airplane. In fact, three hours ago in Japan, Prime Minister Abe stated that he would like to return the Japanese who wants to Japan. The Prime Minister believes that the Chinese side will respond to Japan's policy. I would like to have a charter plane.

In China, evacuating foreigners from a closed city seems to have escaped, and the image of the international community is bad.

However, Wang Yi shared the idea of ​​cooperating. It was a moment when the policy of charter aircraft dispatch was solidified.

Countries were trying to arrange for a charterer to fly to the closed airport in Wuhan. As a result, Japan succeeded in sending charter aircraft at the same timing as the United States.

Government officials recalled, "It was unthinkable in an era when Japan-China relations were cold."

Charter aircraft, fly

The 28th, two days after the telephone ministerial talks.

The office level of the diplomatic route had to be adjusted over the time of charter aircraft arrivals and departures, but the final approval of the Chinese side was issued on this day.

A medical team boarded an ANA Boeing 767, the first charterer of the government's charter aircraft, to check the status of infection by returnees.

They also collected and loaded emergency supplies for China, such as masks, as much as they could.

Assistance was provided for approximately 130,000 masks, including high-performance ones for healthcare professionals, 23,000 medical protective clothing, 50,000 pairs of gloves, and 33,000 goggles, including supplies carried on subsequent flights. Up to pieces.

Japan has fulfilled the promises made by the foreign ministers.

The charter plane took off from Haneda Airport at 8:30 pm, while it was raining. He flew to Wuhan where people who wanted to return home wait.

Diplomats struggle

"The team is united and we are literally responding with sleeplessness.

This is an e-mail from a diplomat at a Japanese embassy in Beijing, China, sent to a reporter. There, diplomats struggled to accept charter aircraft.

Ten embassy officials rushed from Beijing to Wuhan by land on the afternoon of the afternoon of the tense situation.
The diplomats who took part in the mission raised their hands, despite the danger of infection.

However, only in vast China, the distance from Beijing to Wuhan is about 1200 km. He traveled 17 hours a night by car and arrived early in the morning on the 27th.

Meanwhile, the remaining embassy staff in Beijing had repeatedly negotiated with the Chinese side, based on the results of the foreign ministers' talks over the phone.

"Can you fly the charter plane as soon as possible?"

The Japanese side urged and talks continued until the early of the 28th, but the Chinese side did not decide that it was "not ready to accept". The Chinese approval was finally given on the morning of the 28th.

At the site of Wuhan, under severe traffic regulations, diplomats focused on how to gather Japanese who would like to return to the airport and put it on a charter aircraft, mainly at a temporary base established at a local hotel. He was working on fine adjustments with the Chinese side. You have to hurry anyway.

Wuhan has no Japanese consulate in general and has no connection with the local government.
So JETRO, which has an office in Wuhan, moved.

At the request of JETRO, a Japanese company operating locally secured five buses and a driver. As a result of coordination with companies, 30 meeting places were set up.

Diplomats obtain permission from the Wuhan City government to obtain the addresses of all those who wish to return, and prioritize evacuation of those living near the seafood market where the outbreak of the new coronavirus is suspected. I put on.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "It was also because the embassy executives and others negotiated persistently with the Chinese side that it was possible to fly the charter aircraft quickly. It was the total war of each diplomat."

Return home

As a result of local diplomats' efforts, the first charter flight, carrying 206 returnees, flew off the airport in Wuhan just before 5:00 am on the following day.

Just a short time later, he left the airport in Wuhan, carrying American diplomats and their families who also evacuated charter planes prepared by the United States.

By the way, the charter aircraft prepared by the United States is a Boeing 747 type cargo aircraft without windows. On board, the passengers were completely quarantined to avoid contact with the crew, and were transported to the U.S. Air Force base.

Before 9:00 am, the Japanese charter aircraft was able to arrive safely at Haneda Airport.

Why operate at night

As of the morning of February 5, the charter aircraft had been operated three times, and a total of 565 Japanese returned.

All depart from Haneda Airport at night and arrive in Wuhan at midnight and early in the morning.

Returnees gathered at the airport by bus wait for several hours at the airport.

And the charter aircraft is a “forced march” pattern that leaves early in the morning and early morning and returns to Japan in the morning.

However, the operation is burdensome for both airline officials and those returning.

It was originally said that we were aiming for daytime operations, but why did that happen?

A government official said, "The Chinese side seems to have a good time at night," he said.
"I don't think the Chinese government wants to show to its citizens that foreigners are escaping one after another. It seems that they are choosing time during the night to fear their own panic. "

After analyzing the Chinese government's belief that it is nervous about domestic public opinion, the government seems to have carefully avoided words that inspire China.

At a press conference on January 31, Mr. Mogi did not forget his attention to the Chinese side.

"While China is working hard to prevent the spread of infection, Japan appreciates its full cooperation in returning to Japan."

From now on

It is said that the dispatch of three charter planes has almost completely returned those who wished to be in Wuhan or nearby.

However, there are still about 140 returning candidates on site.

Some of these people live far away from Wuhan and have difficulty traveling to the airport, and some Japanese have spouses who are not allowed to leave the country.

Regarding the issue of nationality, there have been cases in which a Japanese husband and a 10-month-old baby were forced to separate from a Chinese wife in this case, and the Japanese side negotiated to evacuate the Chinese spouse. Continue.



As the outbreak continues, diplomats will have to tackle more challenges in the future. How do you reduce the impact on the economy and how do you cooperate in preventing the spread of infection?

It just is there is no, is scheduled for April after two months, maybe going to realize how the visit to Japan as a state guest of Xi Jinping Jintao's heavy challenges.

How did this operation affect Japan-China relations?
It is still far from being evaluated whether it has become a symbol of bilateral cooperation toward the creation of a new Japan-China era.

Shin Watanabe, political reporter
Entered the station in 2004. Worked at Kushiro station, Sakhalin, Sendai station, Fukushima station, etc. Currently in the Ministry of Politics subcap of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yutaro Yamamoto, political reporter
Joined the station in 2007. After working at the Yamaguchi Bureau, the political department. Currently in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Minister of Mogi's "reporter."

Hiroshi Takashima, political reporter
Joined the station in 2012. After working at the Niigata Bureau, the International Department. In charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Ministry of Politics from August 2019. Specializes in China.