The Hong Kong government ordered the immediate severance of all official relations with the Consulate General of Japan, and took a pro-China stance in the dispute that began with the Japanese Prime Minister’s remarks, Sanae Takaishifrom … He warned that a Chinese military operation in Taiwan would provoke a response from Tokyo in support of Taipei.
Head of the Executive of Hong Kong John LeeHe noted on Monday that his government supports China’s diplomatic policy towards Japan, and stressed that it will closely monitor the situation and respond appropriately.
The comments are the first time a Hong Kong official has spoken publicly about the dispute that has plagued Sino-Japanese relations for more than two weeks.
For example, when relations between the two powers worsened in 2012 over the Senkaku Islands, “there was no move by Hong Kong to sever communication” with the Japanese state, according to Japanese news agency Kyodo News. In turn, he denounced that this diplomatic shift represents a rapprochement between the administrative region and the Asian giant: “Integration is progressing.”
“These extremely wrong statements by the Japanese Prime Minister have seriously deteriorated the environment for exchanges between China and Japan,” Li said at a press conference. “It makes us doubt the effectiveness of many exchanges.”
The Chinese Foreign Minister, on Sunday, Wang YiHe said it was “shocking” that the Japanese leader would publicly send the wrong signal about Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, although the island’s government rejects such claims.
Kyodo News reported on Sunday that Hong Kong had suspended exchanges with the Japanese consulate.
Lee did not respond to a question about whether Hong Kong had suspended exchanges: “Our governance must be consistent with the dignity of the nation and the interests of the people of Hong Kong.”
The city’s security bureau updated its travel advisory for Japan in the middle of this month, urging Hong Kong residents visiting or living in Japan to be careful for their safety.
Travel to Japan, alert
Japan is the first destination for Hong Kong residents, as there are about 150 daily flights between the Chinese-controlled city and 13 Japanese cities during peak seasons such as the Lunar New Year.
More than two and a half million Hong Kong residents visited Japan last year, accounting for 7.3% of all foreign visitors, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
Hong Kong airlines, including Cathay Pacific, have notified in the past two weeks that they will provide options to realign flight routes to Japan.