European Union External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner raised the threat of a boycott of the Beijing Olympics Games over Tibet in an interview with a German weekly to appear Sunday.
But in Tokyo, Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Saturday voiced concern about using the Beijing Olympics to protest against China's suppression of recent unrest in Tibet, local media reported.
"We have to consider if we should make a vociferous criticism and if it's appropriate to link (the Tibet issue) to the Olympics right now," Fukuda told Jiji Press and other Japanese media.
Japan, which has been repairing uneasy relations with China, has expressed concern about Tibet but said it would not support a boycott at the Games in the Chinese capital in August.
The unrest came ahead of a planned visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Japan possibly in May to hold a summit with Fukuda, known for his Asian-friendly diplomacy.
China is trying to put down the biggest protests in nearly two decades against its rule of Tibet.
Ferrero-Waldner called on European companies that operate in China to demand respect for human rights and for peaceful demonstrations worldwide on the issue in the interview with Bild am Sonntag.
source: Agence France-Presse
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