A Japanese consul in Shanghai who killed himself had been pressured by Chinese authorities to hand over confidential information, a magazine claims.
The weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported this week that in a farewell note to his superior, the consul said a Chinese man claimed certain associations the consul had could cause problems and demanded the names of officials in the consulate and the flight numbers of airlines that carried confidential documents from Shanghai to Japan.
On Tuesday Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe confirmed to a news conference that the consul had died but did not comment on the cause of his death, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.
The Japanese government registered a protest with the Chinese government after the consul committed suicide, but the Chinese government has made no response until now, the magazine reported.
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