Govt. On President Xi's April Visit To Japan


Govt. on President Xi's April visit to Japan

The Japanese government is expected to carefully review arrangements with China for a planned visit by President Xi Jinping, including a possible postponement due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Japanese government maintains that at this moment it doesn't expect any changes in the schedule.

At a summit last June, the Japanese side requested a state visit by the Chinese president as part of an exchange aimed at improving bilateral ties.

The two governments have since been making preparations for Xi's visit scheduled for early April.

In the meantime, the spread of the new coronavirus forced China to put off the annual National People's Congress, which is one of its key political events. The Japanese government also called for the cancellation of major events and the emergency closure of elementary and high schools across the country.

At a news conference last week, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at the moment the schedule for Xi's visit remains unchanged.

But he said a Chinese presidential visit to Japan has taken place only once in ten years, and should be carried out in a manner that can produce a sufficient outcome.

Abe and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi conveyed this view to Yang Jiechi, who leads Chinese foreign policy, when they met him in Tokyo last week.