China-Japan Friendship Hospital fuels speculation by dropping 'friendship' from its title

The China-Japan Friendship Hospital is dropping the word "friendship" from its official abbreviated title, prompting speculation the change is due to tensions between the two countries.

The National Health and Family Planning Commission has standardised the facility's abbreviated name to China-Japan Hospital, which is to be used on all occasions apart from in official documents or on occasions that require a full name.

The hospital, built with financial aid from the Japanese government, opened in 1984 and is a top-tier facility boasting 1,500 beds. It was used by sportsmen at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Some web users said the change signified "unfriendly" ties between the countries; others said locals had long referred to it as the China-Japan Hospital.

The hospital said on Saturday that China-Japan Friendship Hospital remained its official full name.

Several other hospitals have been given an official abbreviation. The Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences is to be known as Medical Science Academy; the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Peking Union Medical College Hospital is to become Peking Union Medical College Hospital; the National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases becomes Cardiovascular Diseases Centre, and the National Cancer Centre becomes the Cancer Centre.