10 countries let embassies in China cover Japan

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TOKYO, March 25 Kyodo -
Ten countries, including eight in Africa, do not have embassies in Japan and
have their embassies in China take charge of diplomatic operations involving
Japan, a trend that likely reflects China's increasing, and Japan's dwindling,
global presence, an upper house committee meeting revealed Thursday.
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama said during a House of
Councillors panel meeting that eight African and two Mediterranean states let
their embassies in China cover Japan, while ''there isn't a single country''
that has its embassy in Japan cover China.
The eight African countries are Togo, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Niger,
Congo, Guinea, Burundi and Seychelles. The two Mediterranean countries are
Cyprus and Malta.
China sends government officials to Africa frequently with an eye to securing
natural resources, while Japan's local presence is ''significantly lower'' than
China's, according to a Japanese government source.
''It mirrors how the countries view China and Japan, and I regret it,'' Foreign
Minister Katsuya Okada said at the panel meeting while explaining that Japan
has not set up embassies in the 10 countries due to a limited budget. He
proposed strengthening ties with the countries through the Japanese Embassy in
China.
Burundi established an embassy in Japan in 1989 but closed it in 1997, while
Congo set up one in 1996 but closed it two years later.
China has embassies in each of the 10 countries.
==Kyodo