Although the talks lasted much longer than scheduled, no progress was made on the detainment of a Japanese national in a meeting between the Japanese foreign minister and his Chinese counterpart on April 2.

The detainment of the senior employee of Astellas Pharma Inc. by Chinese authorities was the key topic of the three-hour discussion between Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Qin Gang in Beijing. 

In addition, there remains a huge gap between the two countries’ stances on important issues such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Although both countries are in agreement that they should improve their relationship, it’s not clear how they can do so, experts said. 

A source connected with China’s Communist Party said, “Hayashi’s visit to China was hastily decided in the past week or so. The Japanese side was eager (on making the visit happen).”

Hayashi’s visit to China was made based on the agreement between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November that the two countries should resume high-level dialogue.

According to sources connected to the Japanese government as well as other sources with links to the Chinese government, the Chinese side initially suggested that Hayashi could visit China in December.

However, the plan was delayed due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in China as well as the country’s reluctance to accept Japan’s request that Hayashi meet with Xi.

Hayashi’s meeting with Xi didn’t materialize this time after all.

The reason the Japanese side still made the visit was largely the detainment of the Astellas Pharma employee, who is in his 50s. 

China’s Ministry of State Security, which is responsible for the crackdown on alleged espionage, is likely to formally arrest and indict the Japanese man, according to sources.

The Japanese side tried to resolve the issue quickly through diplomatic channels with the visit by Hayashi.

A source connected to the Chinese Communist Party has said, “The Ministry of State Security is detaining the Japanese man based on evidence. Therefore, his release, which would be an extralegal measure, is not easy.”

The statement issued by the Chinese side following the April 2 meeting stated that Qin told Hayashi during the talks, “China will deal with (the detainment) according to law.”

That demonstrates the strong will of the Chinese Communist Party leadership, led by Xi, to strengthen its crackdown on espionage, experts say.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, China has detained 17 Japanese people for alleged involvement in espionage since 2015.

Of these, 11 have already returned to Japan; five were released before being indicted and six served their full sentences.

A man in his 70s died of illness in prison in February last year.

The five who are still in China include the Astellas Pharma employee, two people in prison, one who is being tried, and one who has been arrested, according to the ministry.

Japanese government sources say that China’s anti-spying law is vague, adding “(China) might be using the law arbitrarily.”

Espionage trials are not open to the public in China due to the cited need for protecting national intelligence.

Hayashi demanded the early release of the Astellas Pharma employee during his meeting with Qin.

During a news conference after the meeting, Hayashi said, “(Securing) the safety and peace of mind for Japanese people overseas is a top priority. We will continue doing our best.”

However, he avoided saying how the detainment issue is expected to be resolved.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine was another important discussion item at the meeting.

The two countries’ stances on the issue remain far apart, but Hayashi demanded during the meeting that China play a “responsible role.”

Kishida made a secret visit to Ukraine on March 21 and met with the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Their joint statement demanded that Russia withdraw from Ukraine “immediately and unconditionally.”

On the same day, Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

The joint statement issued after the meeting said that they “oppose unilateral sanctions.”

That further highlighted their confrontational stance toward the Group of Seven members, who call for more sanctions against Russia and enhanced support for Ukraine.

Japan, the current G-7 president, will host the group’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture in April and then its leaders’ summit in Hiroshima in May.

Japan plans to highlight the Ukraine situation as the main topic of those meetings and to stress the importance of “maintaining and strengthening the international order based on the rule of law.”

Hayashi said at the April 2 news conference that during the meeting with Qin, he “had frank discussions, while taking into account the understanding of issues shared by the G-7 members,” and that such issues included the Ukraine situation.

He stressed, “Taking into consideration such talks (with Qin), we would like to lead discussions among the G-7 members as the president in the future G-7 events.”