China executed a convicted Japanese drug smuggler yesterday, making him the first Japanese citizen to be put to death in the country since diplomatic ties were re-established in 1972.
Mitsunobu Akano, 65, was executed in the northeastern province of Liaoning, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting an announcement from the Supreme People’s Court.
Tokyo confirmed the execution had taken place, saying Chinese officials had informed Japanese diplomats shortly afterwards.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama again said the case was “regrettable,” but both sides said they hoped relations would not be affected.
“The seriousness of the crime of drug smuggling is widely recognized around the world,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu (姜瑜) told reporters.
“The death penalty is beneficial to the deterrence and prevention of serious drug trafficking crimes … we hope this case will not affect the normal development of bilateral ties.”
Akano was arrested in September 2006 at an airport in Dalian, Liaoning Province, while reportedly trying to smuggle 2.5kg of narcotics from China to Japan.
“The courts had clear and irrefutable evidence of drug smuggling and the death sentence was handed down and carried out in line with Chinese law,” the supreme court said.
It added Akano had been “treated legally.”
The report said some of the drugs were in the luggage of an accomplice but gave no other details on that person.
Akano was initially sentenced to death in June 2008 and the punishment was upheld last year, Chinese state media have said.
“It is regrettable, as I have said all along,” Hatoyama told reporters late yesterday.
“The government will work hard to ensure that this does not lead to cracks in the Japan-China relationship. We ask the public to remain calm,” he said.
Japanese Justice Minister Keiko Chiba earlier expressed concern that the case “could trigger a backlash from the Japanese public,” Jiji Press said.
Beijing has informed Japan it plans to execute three more Japanese drug smugglers as early as tomorrow — Teruo Takeda, 67, from Nagoya city; Hironori Ukai, 48, from Gifu prefecture; and Katsuo Mori, 67, of Fukushima prefecture.
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