In the most recent of some similar incidents in recent years, Japan claims to be ‘closely monitoring’ the event of a Tokyo-based Chinese intellectual who reportedly went missing last year after returning to China.
Mr Fan Yuntao, a Chinese federal and a teacher at Japan’s Asia University, returned to his home state in February 2023 and eventually became uncontactable, according to Chinese media reports. By the start of the new quarter in April that year, he had intended to travel back to Japan, but he lacked the time.
According to unnamed sources, Mr. Fan claimed in a report from Kyodo News that he had been detained before going missing and that he had been told by people around him that he had been asked to visit authorities for investigation.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, acknowledged the reports about Mr. Fan’s disappearance at a press conference on Monday ( Apr 22 ), stating that the government was keeping an eye on the situation.
The professor’s animal rights may be at play here, Mr. Hayashi said.” He has been teaching at a Japanese university for centuries.
He declined to elaborate further on the topic, citing its delicate character, Kyodo News reported.
Mr Fan, 61, specialises in international law and political knowledge, according to his intellectual report on Asia University’s site.
The university disclosed in a statement on Monday that the professor was currently on a “leave of absence ” and that he “sincerely hopes ” he will return to work soon.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press briefing on Monday that he “does not include information on that” when asked whether the government is aware of Mr. Fan’s movements.