Chinese President's visit to Japan may be postponed due to Covid-19

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Source: Kyodo

Citing diplomatic sources from both countries, the Sankei newspaper said that the Chinese president's visit to Japan is likely to be postponed until this fall or later. Although just a day earlier, on February 29, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a press conference that preparations for President Xi Jinping's visit were still underway.

Earlier on February 28, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also affirmed in a statement that there is currently no change in the plan for the Chinese President's state visit to Japan. And that this visit is an important event, and the two sides need to achieve some results during this visit. The two sides also agreed to communicate and cooperate to the end not only in preparing for the visit but also in responding to the Covid-19 epidemic that has killed nearly 3,000 people worldwide. These statements were made after Foreign Minister Motegi met with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi in Tokyo on the same day.

Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Japan in April, becoming the first Chinese president to make a state visit to Tokyo since President Hu Jintao in May 2008. The trip is expected to include a meeting with Emperor Naruhito and a banquet at the Imperial Palace. This is seen as an opportunity for the two sides to continue improving bilateral relations, after many tensions related to the sovereignty dispute over islands in the sea in recent times.

However, several meetings between government officials from both countries have been postponed in recent days, leading to speculation that the visit will not take place as planned. Despite both sides still affirming that the trip will still go ahead as planned.