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Japan unlikely to fix date soon for delayed state visit by China’s Xi Jinping
- Bilateral ties complicated by Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong and tensions with Washington – Tokyo’s key ally
- Trip originally slated for spring was postponed because of coronavirus pandemic
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Japan does not plan to set a new date for a postponed state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping for the time being, taking heed of growing domestic opposition following Beijing’s move to tighten its grip on Hong Kong, government sources said Friday.
The coronavirus pandemic has already prompted Japan and China to reschedule Xi’s visit slated for this spring and some within the Japanese government expect the trip may not be realised until next spring or later.
The delay in rescheduling what will be the first state visit by a Chinese president since 2008 comes on the heels of heightened tensions between China and the United States – Japan’s key ally.
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US President Donald Trump has been stepping up criticism of China over the coronavirus pandemic and the issue of Hong Kong.
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“We’ve not moved forward at all [in terms of preparing for Xi’s visit]. Tackling the new coronavirus comes first and beyond that we are not talking about the schedule. Nothing has been decided yet,” a government source said.
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