Japan demands release of detained citizen and warns China over military ties.
Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi protested the detention of a Japanese national in Beijing and expressed "strong concern" about China's increasing military activity near Taiwan and around Japan during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart. Despite close economic ties, Tokyo and Beijing have been increasingly at odds in recent years. The two ministers agreed to work together in achieving "a constructive and stable relationship" as agreed between their leaders in November.