INTERNATIONAL: Japan's parliament on Tuesday ,February 1, has adopted a resolution on the "serious human rights situation" in China, and called Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government to take steps to relieve the situation, as the Beijing Winter Olympics loom just days ahead.

The resolution, adopted by the lower chamber, has said the international community has expressed concerns over such issues as internment and the violation of religious freedom in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet and Hong Kong.

Japan's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi has said during parliament session that Japan continues to express concerns over human rights issues with regards to Xinjiang's Uyghurs.

"We have been working to cooperate with countries that share the same values as our country," said Hayashi.

The resolution did not directly use the word "China" anywhere in the text, and steered clear of such expression as "human rights violation", saying, instead, "human rights situation", in a possible nod to close bilateral economic ties.