TOKYO, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Japanese economy minister

Ryosei Akazawa said on Wednesday he believed a potential foreign

acquisition of retail giant Seven & i ( SVNDF ) was a matter

"heavily related" to national security.

The owner of 7-Eleven convenience stores has rejected a $47

billion buyout offer from Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard ( ANCTF )

and the retailer's founding family is in talks to take

the company private to fend off the takeover.

"Speaking about a potential acquisition of Seven & i ( SVNDF ), I

think the matter is heavily related to (national) security,"

Akazawa said at a press conference hosted by the Japan National

Press Club.

Akazawa said convenience stores and their distribution

networks could be utilised in the event of disaster to help

bring hot food to people in affected regions, for example.

"If Seven & i's ( SVNDF ) convenience store business is in foreign

hands and run solely for profits, we'll have to think about

various things, such as whether we can we get full support when

our people affected by the disaster are suffering," he said.

Akazawa made the comments when asked about growing

protectionism globally on national security grounds, as shown in

U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to block Nippon Steel's ( NISTF )

$14.9 billion bid for U.S. Steel.

Seven & i ( SVNDF ) was classified as "core" to Japan's national

security in September, raising questions as to whether it was a

defensive manoeuvre. The finance ministry stressed at the time

that the new classification would not create hurdles to a

potential buyout.