Japanese ambassador replacement rumor denied

Japans' Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura on July 23 denied a report saying Tokyo has decided to replace Uichiro Niwa as Japanese ambassador to China in September.

According to Sankei Shimbun, Tokyo on July 22 decided to replace its envoy to China after the end of the Diet session in September for his incompetence in handling the complicated China-Japan relations, especially in sensitive issues such as territorial sovereignty and security.

The Japanese government usually doesn't respond to personnel changes, said Fujimura. "But the report saying Tokyo has decided to replace Niwa is untrue."

The Japanese embassy in Beijing also confirmed to China Daily that the report is false.

On July 15, Niwa was recalled back to Tokyo for discussions on growing tensions over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. His one-day consultation in Tokyo has caused suspicion that he was likely to be removed from his position for his different opinions with Tokyo over the islands.

Niwa, in an interview with the Financial Times in June, warned that plans by the Tokyo municipal government to buy the Diaoyu Islands from their private owner could spark an "extremely grave crisis" between Japan and China.

Government leaders quickly rebuked the ambassador for his remarks, which they dismissed as "personal opinions" that did not reflect the government position. Some Diet members from opposition groups and the ruling party called for Niwa to be fired over the comments.

Niwa, 73, a former chairman of the Itochu trading conglomerate, is the first Japanese ambassador to Beijing from the private sector, rather than the political circle.

Niwa's appointment in 2010 came mainly from Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's strong recommendation, said Sankei Shimbun. Noda said on July 7 that his government was negotiating with a "private owner" to "nationalize" part of the Diaoyu Islands.