Vatican City, May 4, 2022 / 10:57 am
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and told Vatican officials of his deep concern about China’s actions in the South China Sea and the human rights situation in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.
According to a statement from the Japanese Embassy to the Holy See on May 4, Kishida had “a fruitful exchange of views” with Pope Francis, “addressing issues such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, East Asia, North Korea.”
In particular, the Japanese leader told the pope about North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan and “expressed concern about North Korea’s activities in the field of missile and nuclear weapons tests.”
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists that Pope Francis condemned the use and possession of nuclear weapons during the 25-minute meeting as “inconceivable.”