Japan Demands Release of Detainee in China

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi demanded the release of a Japanese citizen detained in China during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang today, Sunday. Hayashi met with Qin during a visit to Beijing, the first by a Japanese foreign minister in over three years, as both countries seek to find common ground amid rising regional tensions. The visit comes a week after a spokesperson for Japan-based Astellas Pharma announced that one of its employees had been detained in China for unknown reasons.