Asahi, Yomiuri, and Nikkei reported that a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman reacted strongly yesterday to Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato’s statement on Wednesday voicing Japan’s concern about China’s persecution of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. While referring to the enshrinement of Class A war criminals at Yasukuni Shrine and the comfort women dispute with South Korea, the Chinese official raised doubts about Tokyo taking issue with the human rights situation in China and elsewhere. “Japan should come to terms with and repent for its history,” she was quoted as saying. 

In a related development, Sankei and Nikkei wrote that an LDP taskforce on human rights issues invited an official of a Japanese organization that supports the Uyghurs to speak at a meeting yesterday to discuss the human rights situation in Xinjiang. The taskforce is expected to draw up a package of recommendations on steps that Tokyo should take to respond to the alleged human rights violations there. Since the Chinese government has dismissed the allegations, the LDP team plans to conduct a hearing with Chinese Embassy officials.