The torch relay for the Beijing Olympics should not be blocked by protesters, Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said Tuesday.
"We have called for calm from both sides (China and the Tibetan protesters)," Komura told reporters. "We cannot condone the torch relay being stopped by violence, whatever the reason."
The government has maintained a cautious diplomatic stance toward China over the crackdown in Tibet, what with Chinese President Hu Jintao planning to visit Japan in early May to meet with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.