Japan's National Security Chief Lodges Protest With Top Chinese Diplomat
The head of Japan's National Security Secretariat has lodged a protest with China's top diplomat over Beijing's military drills around Taiwan.
China has been staging large-scale military drills in the area in response to a visit to Taiwan earlier this month by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Some of the ballistic missiles fired during the exercise fell within Japan's exclusive economic zone.
The secretary general of the National Security Secretariat, Akiba Takeo, met with Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Yang Jiechi in Tianjin on Wednesday.
During their seven-hour talks that lasted late into the night, Akiba criticized China's actions and reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the region, including the Taiwan Strait.
Meanwhile, the two officials agreed on the need for multilayered bilateral communication, as next month will mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between Japan and China.
They reaffirmed the value of in-person dialogue, and decided to continue talks toward establishing constructive and stable bilateral relations.