日本首相说，他将力促被扣押在中国的一位日本公民“尽快”获释。菅直人星期四在中国释放了上个星期因涉嫌在河北省非法进入中国军事管理区而被拘留的四名日本人中的三人后不久对媒体做出上述表示。
这些日本人是日本藤田建设工程公司的职员，在中国为一个处理日军在二战后遗弃在中国的化学武器项目而工作。新华社说，星期四被释放的三名日本人承认违反了中国法律，并已表示悔过。但新华社说，名叫高桥定的第四名日本人仍在接受有关非法拍摄军事区域的调查。
Japan’s prime minister says he will press for the release of a Japanese citizen detained in China “as soon as possible.”Naoto Kan made the statement to reporters Thursday, shortly after China released three of four men detained last week on suspicion of entering a military installation in northern Hebei province.
The employees of Japanese-based Fujita construction company were in China concerning a project to dispose of chemical weapons abandoned by Japanese military forces after World War Two.China’s Xinhua new agency said the three men released Thursday admitted to violating Chinese law and expressed remorse for their actions. But it said the fourth man, identified as Sada Takahashi, is still under investigation for illegally filming military sites.