The Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe, with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. Abe urged China to be more "patient" toward Hong Kong. (Image via The Japan Times)

More self-restraint on Hong Kong: Abe to Xi

Ahead of the trilateral summit between China, Japan, and South Korea (S. Korea) held on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, met with the President of China, Xi Jinping, on Monday. The President of S. Korea, Moon Jae-in, will also join the duo.

Amid the Monday meeting with Xi, Abe urged the Chinese president to keep his self-restraint over Hong Kong protest. Furthermore, according to the spokesperson for the Japanese minister of foreign affairs, Otaka Masato, not only self-restraint but also Abe hopes that an “early” resolution will come out.

Besides Hong Kong, Xi also discussed the denuclearization of North Korea (N. Korea) and the Korean Peninsula. The Chinese president asked for support from the Japanese PM for a joint China – Russia United Nations (U.N) resolution draft to ease sanctions against the nuclear-armed states.

Regarding N. Korea, Masato said that it is too early for Tokyo to lift the sanction, considering the tests of nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The country itself is under heavy sanctions by both the United States (U.S) and U.N over its nuclear program.

Otaka mentioned that Abe supported the implementation of “one country, two systems” policy for an open and free Hong Kong. By the policy, China gives Hong Kong the freedom unable to be enjoyed by people on its authoritative mainland.

Xi replied to Abe’s statement that Hong Kong’s matter is a “domestic” affair.

The policy, however, will end in 2047; and, the Hong Kong residents fear that the Chinese government is already eroding the freedom piece by piece.

Next, Abe also mentioned the elephant in the room, the Xinjiang crackdown. The Japanese PM hoped that the Chinese government would be transparent about the situation and how it is handling it.

The international communities condemned the Middle Kingdom for throwing around one million Uighurs, Muslims, and other ethnic minorities into an internment camp in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

Source: https://bit.ly/37ahgtz