The Japanese Foreign Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, has urged his Chinese counterpart to release an Astellas Pharma Inc. employee who has been detained in China. Hayashi stated that he had made a strong request for the Japanese national to be released early, and had expressed “serious concern” over China’s military activities and a set of disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Since 2015, more than a dozen Japanese nationals have been detained in China. While eight have returned to Japan, seven are still in China facing trial or serving time, and one has died. Reports suggest that the Astellas employee is in his 50s and was detained in March for violating local law.