Political leaders in Asia woke on Friday to the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he was “deeply saddened”, noting that Britain’s longest-serving monarch “had played a significant role for world peace and prosperity”.
The passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who has led Britain through a tumultuous global period, is not just a major loss for the citizens of the United Kingdom but for the international community,” Kishida told reporters in Tokyo on Friday.
He said the Queen had helped strengthen ties between Britain and Japan, which is home to the world’s oldest continuous monarchy.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sent his “deepest condolences to the people of the United Kingdom”.
[The Queen] had a strong belief in the cause of human freedom and left great legacies of dignity. Her kind heart and good deeds will remain in our memories.”
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen extended her “deepest condolences to the British government, the people of the Commonwealth, King Charles III and the royal family,” her office said.
Tsai praised the Queen as a “backbone of global democracy”, noting she had led the British people during the second world war and more recently against the face of global authoritarianism.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, a former British colony, wrote on Facebook that the Queen’s passing was being “greatly mourned by everyone in Singapore” and called her “the very heart and soul of the UK.”
“On behalf of the Singapore government, I extend my deepest condolences,” Lee added.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee issued a statement expressing his sadness at the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen visited Hong Kong twice while the city was a British territory. Her son, now King Charles III, attended the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997.
“On behalf of the people and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, it is with great sadness that I express our profound condolences on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom,” Lee said, according to a HK government statement Friday.
Chinese officials also expressed condolences with top leader Xi Jinping sending a message to King Charles III and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sending a message to UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, Chinese state media CCTV reported.
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