Hong Kong officials absent from Japan consulate event amid diplomatic tensions

2026-02-06 - 07:37

Top Hong Kong officials were absent from a Japanese consulate event amid a China-Japan diplomatic row, which is having ripple effects on the city’s relationship with the country. Japan’s Consul General in Hong Kong Jun Miura speaks at an annual reception marking the birthday of the Japanese Emperor Naruhito, in 2025. File photo: Japan’s Consulate General in Hong Kong, via Facebook. Japan’s Consulate-General in Hong Kong on Thursday held a reception marking the 66th birthday of Emperor Naruhito, which falls later this month. The annual event was not attended by high-ranking government officials or lawmakers, according to local media. In comparison, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong was at last year’s event, where he spoke as a “guest of honour.” Former chief executive Carrie Lam was also among the guests. In a speech on Thursday, Japan’s Consul General in Hong Kong, Jun Miura, noted the absence of a guest of honour at the event, while thanking other guests who gathered “at this difficult time.” “While we do not have a guest of honour per se, I consider you all to be our guests of honour,” Miura said. As a common practice, top Hong Kong officials often participate at foreign consulate events as guests of honour. In 2024, Chief Secretary Eric Chan attended the Japanese consulate reception as the guest of honour. The Chief Secretary for Administration’s Office did not respond to an HKFP enquiry on Friday. Diplomatic row The absence of top officials at the event came amid tensions between China and Japan, sparked by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan in November. Takaichi said in parliament on November 7 that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan, a self-ruled democracy, could trigger a military response from Tokyo. Beijing considers Taiwan as part of China’s territory, a claim which the island’s government rejects. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. File photo: Prime Minister’s Office of Japan, via X. The comments have strained ties between the two Asian countries. Beijing reacted furiously to Takaichi’s remarks, warning Chinese nationals against travelling to Japan and suspending the export of strategic goods to the country. Last month, Japan’s only two pandas, which had lived in a Tokyo zoo on loan, were returned to China prematurely. Chief Executive John Lee said in November that the Hong Kong government supported China’s diplomatic policy towards Japan and that Takaichi’s remarks were “grossly erroneous.” “[Her remarks] have seriously affected the atmosphere for exchanges between China and Japan and have also cast doubt on the feasibility of many of these exchanges,” Lee told reporters in Cantonese. Japanese news agency Kyodo reported in November that the Hong Kong government had halted exchanges with Japan’s consulate following the escalation in China-Japan tensions. A woman walks past a billboard with an advertisement for a Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. At the event on Thursday, Miura said the cultural and economic exchanges between Hong Kong and Japan remained stable last year, highlighting Japanese animations popular among Hongkongers, such as Chiikawa and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The diplomat also praised Hongkongers, saying they had made him aware of attractions located in remote areas of his country. Japan remains a popular holiday destination for Hongkongers despite the diplomatic row. In December, about 291,100 Hong Kong residents visited Japan, up 1.9 per cent year-on-year, according to Japanese tourism data. In 2025, Hongkongers made over 2.5 million visits to Japan, accounting for 5.9 per cent of total foreign visits to the country, the data showed.