日本駐中國大使用車在北京被中国人搶奪国旗

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following

中国の北京市内で、２７日夕方、中国駐在の丹羽大使が乗った公用車が中国人とみられる男の乗った車に停止させられ、車両に付けてあった日本の国旗が奪われました。
丹羽大使や同乗していた大使館の職員にけがはありませんでしたが、北京の日本大使館は中国政府に抗議するとともに、捜査するよう求めました。

北京の日本大使館によりますと、現地時間の午後４時すぎ（日本時間の午後５時すぎ）、中国駐在の丹羽宇一郎大使が乗った公用車が北京市内の環状道路を移動中に、少なくとも２台の車に停止させられました。
このうちの１台の車から降りてきた中国人とみられる男が、公用車に付けられていた日本の国旗を外し、奪ったということです。
丹羽大使の車には、日本大使館の経済担当の公使と大使館の職員、それに中国人の運転手の合わせて４人が乗っていましたが、いずれもけがはありませんでした。
日本大使館によりますと、丹羽大使は当時、ほかの日本大使館の車と共に移動していましたが、立体交差点の近くで２台の車が丹羽大使の車の前に止まって走行を妨げ、車の中から出てきた男が大使の車の前部に取り付けられた日本の国旗を奪ったということで、国旗を付けていたポールが曲がったということです。
丹羽大使の公用車には、ふだんから警備はついておらず、尖閣諸島を巡り、日中両国の対立が激しくなっている現在も特に警備はついていなかったということです。
今回の事態を受けて、日本大使館の堀之内秀久公使は、中国外務省に対し厳正に抗議するとともに再発の防止と今回の事件についての捜査を求めました。
これに対し中国外務省の羅照輝アジア局長は、「このような事件が発生したことは誠に遺憾である。中国政府としては、事件の再発防止に全力を尽くしたい。在留邦人、日本企業の安全も確保する。本件については法に基づき厳正に対処したい」と回答したということです。

(試譯文)

In Beijing in China on the evening of the 27th the official car which was carrying Ambassador Niwa was stopped by a car driven by a man believed to be Chinese, and the national flag of Japan attached to vehicle was taken away.

Although neither Ambassador Niwa nor the personnel of the embassy who were with him had received any injury, the Japanese Embassy in Beijing asked for an investigation while protested against the Chinese government.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, at slightly past 4.00 p.m. local time (Japan Standard Time slightly past 5:00 p.m.) the official car which carried Ambassador Uichiro Niwa while moving in a circular road in Beijing was stopped by at least two cars.

A man believed to be a Chinese got down from one of the cars to remove and take away the Japanese national flag which was attached to the embassy car.

Staying together with Ambassador Niwa in the car were staff of the embassy including the minister of the Japanese Embassy who was specializing in economy and the Chinese driver; all of them in total four people received no injury.

It was said that according to the Japanese Embassy, Ambassador Niwa was traveling with another car of the Japanese Embassy, two cars stopped in front of Ambassador Niwa's cars, and blocking them near the intersection point of two levels; a man came out of the car to take the Japanese national flag which was attached to the front part of the ambassador's car, and bent the pole to which the national flag was attached.

It was said that Ambassador Niwa's official car usually had made no defense measures, and no special defense was attached to it up to now when confrontation between both countries of China and Japan became intense because of the Senkaku Islands.

In response to this situation, the Hidehisa Horinouchi minister of the Japanese Embassy while protested solemnly to the China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked for a criminal investigation and the prevention of future occurrence of the incident.

It was said that in response to it, Luo Zhaohui as the head of the Asian Affairs Bureau of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said that "it is very regrettable that such an incident had occurred. The Chinese government would like to do its best to prevent the future occurrence of this incident. The safety of both Japanese residents abroad and Japanese companies would be ensured. This matter would be dealt with strictly according to the laws".

This matter is a headache for both governments; I hope it would not be escalated further.