Japan and China ‘will continue preparations’ for Xi Jinping’s state visit despite coronavirus
- Trip was thought to be at risk of being postponed as China battles the outbreak
- Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi says he expects visit to happen in April as scheduled
In a meeting on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich, Germany, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that Japan fully supported Beijing’s efforts to contain the epidemic, which has killed more than 1,600 and infected over 68,000 in mainland China alone, the Japanese foreign ministry said.
The pneumonia-causing coronavirus apparently began spreading in late December from a seafood market in Wuhan, a commercial hub with a population of about 11 million in central China that has since been put under lockdown.
Motegi expressed “great appreciation” for China’s cooperation in evacuating Japanese citizens and their families from the city and elsewhere in Hubei province on chartered planes. So far, 763 people have been repatriated on four flights, with a fifth set to return on Monday.
Regarding Xi’s planned state visit to Japan, Motegi said the two countries shared a responsibility to promote global peace and prosperity and that the visit would be an opportunity to show their commitment to fulfilling that duty, according to the ministry.