War in Ukraine: Japan urges China to be "responsible" in this conflict
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi during a press conference in Honolulu, February 12, 2022. AP - Kevin Lamarque
Text by: RFI Follow
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The Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs urged this Wednesday, May 18, Beijing to "
play a responsible role
" in the face of the war in Ukraine.
It was during his first meeting with his Chinese counterpart for six months.
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Japan has joined its Western allies in taking
tough sanctions on Russia
after its invasion of Ukraine, while Beijing has refused to condemn Moscow's aggression.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the Russian invasion was "
a clear violation of the UN Charter and other international laws
".
This was reported by the Japanese Foreign Ministry in a statement.
He "
urged China to play a responsible role in maintaining international peace and security
".
►Also read: Japan in search of a Southeast Asian consensus on Russia and China
This exchange is the first between the two ministers since November, according to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is part of a context of growing concerns over international geopolitical tensions.
China and Russia were seen as strengthening their coordination.
The talks come as US President Joe Biden is due to arrive in Japan this weekend after a visit to South Korea.
He will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and participate in a meeting of a quadrilateral group including Australia and India in addition to the United States and Japan.
Informal alliance
This informal alliance, called Quad, is seen as a means of putting pressure on China, which is constantly strengthening its economic and military weight in the region.
"
Japan and the United States are allies, while China and Japan have a peace and friendship treaty
," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that bilateral cooperation between Tokyo and Washington "
should not provoke a confrontation between the camps, much less harm China's sovereignty, security and development interests
".
"
We hope Japan will learn the lessons of history, focus on regional peace and stability, and act with caution, not acting as a pawn for others and not going down the path of every man for himself.
", he added.
Japan is worried about its growing military assertiveness in the Pacific.
During his talk with Wang Yi, Yoshimasa Hayashi discussed the issue of disputed islands between the two countries and the situation in the South
and East
China Seas .
But China is also the largest trading partner of Japan, which itself wants to avoid being drawn into tensions between Beijing and Washington.
(
with AFP
)
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