By Yukiko ToyodaJapan will keep calling for China to act responsibly on the world stage, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday, a sign of Tokyo's deepening concern about stability in the Taiwan Strait following Beijing's recent military drills. The comments from Kishida, after China conducted drills in the waters off Taiwan earlier this month, highlight Tokyo's growing alarm about the possibility of an attack on nearby Taiwan. Japan would "continue to call on China to take the responsibility it should be taking as a major country on the world stage," Kishida said during a roundtable interview with members of the foreign media. "Peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is not just important for Japan, but the international community and the world more broadly as well," he said. Kishida also said Japan was calling on China to allow for the return of a Japanese executive detained there.

Source: The Guardian April 21, 2023 01:43 UTC