BEIJING -- The press club for Japanese newspapers, news agencies and television reporters stationed in Beijing decided on Wednesday, as the general will of the club, to call off their attendance at a meeting between Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba and Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi held the same day in Beijing.
This was done in response to the Chinese Foreign Ministry not allowing a reporter from Japanese newspaper The Sankei Shimbun to take part in a pool interview for the meeting.
Regarding the pool interview, the Japanese Embassy in China, which works as a facilitator, requested the press club to adjust the number of reporters attending, so lots were drawn and the Sankei Shimbun reporter was one of the participating reporters.
According to the Japanese Embassy, they received a notice from the Chinese Foreign Ministry that it did not accept the participation of a Sankei Shimbun reporter, on the basis of the ministry's policy.
The press club has concluded that, regarding the response from the Chinese side, preconditions for pool interviews cannot be established when the selection of reporters is not in reporters' hands.
Fumihiko Iguchi, executive officer and managing editor of The Sankei Shimbun, announced in a statement: "The fact that Chinese authorities refused to take part in news-gathering activities by a Sankei Shimbun reporter was an unfair obstruction of legitimate news-gathering activities. We express our regret as a measure that cannot be overlooked."
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