Japanese lawmaker fired over China trip

Japan's upper house passed a resolution Thursday dismissing Yoriko Kawaguchi, a senior lawmaker of the Liberal Democratic Party, as head of one of its standing committees over her recent trip to China, fueling tensions between the ruling and opposition camps ahead of this summer's national election.

The resolution, backed by seven opposition parties, criticized Kawaguchi, a former foreign minister who now chairs the Environment Committee of the House of Councillors, for extending her stay in China to meet with a top Chinese official in late April without parliamentary approval.

The extension of her stay forced the panel to cancel a scheduled session. But the ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's LDP, has defended Kawaguchi's decision, saying it was necessary at a time of tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.