‘A foreign government is much less likely to hurt another country if they have a direct stake in it’.

Emerging Asian economies have been hit on all sides by Covid-19, with crumbling exchange rates, inflated foreign debts and the collapse of trade, commodity prices, tourism and investment.

The prime minister, making the first state visit to China by a Japanese leader in 11 years, is expected to announce 30 joint infrastructure projects in a development that signals a change in approach to Xi’s signature initiative