Hong Kong finance chief scraps Tokyo visit amid China-Japan row

TOKYO – Hong Kong’s No. 3 official has scrapped his visit to Tokyo, initially planned for later in December, sources familiar with the matter said on Dec 6, amid a continuing diplomatic row between Japan and China over

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan

.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan was originally scheduled to deliver a speech at a trade promotion event organised by the semiautonomous Chinese region’s Trade Development Council on Dec 17 at a Tokyo hotel, with Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa in attendance as a guest, the sources said.

As many as 200 guests from Japan’s political and business circles were set to attend, but the event has been cancelled.

The city’s authorities have also suspended exchanges with the Japanese Consulate General in Hong Kong, with the latest move echoing Beijing’s lead in applying economic pressure on Japan over the dispute.

Mr Chan is in charge of the former British colony’s economic policy. He was supposed to meet with Japanese Consul General Jun Miura earlier this week, but the meeting was called off at the request of Hong Kong authorities.

In November, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said the territory would align with China’s diplomatic policy toward Japan, and that

the ongoing dispute

“cast doubt on the feasibility of many of these exchanges”.

The sources said Hong Kong authorities’ decision to rescind Mr Chan’s Tokyo visit was made several days before a massive fire broke out at a high-rise housing complex on Nov 26, leaving about 160 people dead.

In a possibly related move, local media reported on Dec 4 that Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department axed three Japanese movies from being aired at a screening event. KYODO NEWS