China and Japan pledge mutual support as Olympic hosts

Chinese ambassador to Japan seeks assurance from Games organisers that Chinese athletes will be safe in Tokyo
Resurgence of coronavirus outbreaks in Japan’s capital has prompted a new state of emergency until August 22

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Rachel Zhangin Shanghai

Published: 2:14pm, 13 Jul 2021

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China has pledged to support Japan as host of the summer Olympics and said it would send a big team to the Games, but called for measures to ensure participants’ safety.

In a meeting with Tokyo Olympic Committee chairwoman Seiko Hashimoto on Monday, China’s ambassador to Japan Kong Xuanyou said the leaders of China and Japan reached an important consensus to support each other in hosting the Games.

“China actively supports Japan in hosting the Tokyo Olympic Games and is willing to continue to provide assistance within its capacity. China will send a big team to participate in the Games, hoping that the Tokyo Olympic Committee will ensure the safety of Chinese Olympic athletes,” an embassy statement quoted Kong as saying.

“The preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics are progressing smoothly and have won the recognition of the International Olympic Committee.

“It is hoped that China and Japan will take the opportunity to host the Olympic Games in succession to carry out various exchanges and cooperation on Olympics and sports, injecting new impetus into the improvement and development of bilateral relations.”

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China plans to send more than 400 athletes to the Tokyo Olympics which are expected to run from July 23 until August 8 after being postponed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan is suffering from a new wave of infection prompting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to declare that Tokyo had entered a state of emergency from Monday until August 22.

It is the country’s fourth emergency period since the pandemic began. Restaurants are required to close early and not provide alcohol and people are asked to avoid unnecessary travel.

A vaccination programme for Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics staff began last month. The Japanese government aims to vaccinate around 2,500 workers a day until late August.

The Covid-19 resurgence has prompted a ban on audiences watching the events on site.

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During the meeting on Monday, Hashimoto introduced preparations for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, saying the committee would do all it could to ensure a safe Olympic Games.

“The Japanese side attaches great importance to strengthening Olympic cooperation with China,” she was quoted in the Chinese embassy statement as saying. “[Japan] sincerely looks forward to the success of the Olympic Games in both countries, wishing it could play an important and positive role in promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.”

Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee. Photo: Kyodo

North Korea announced in April it would not attend the Tokyo Olympics because of pandemic concerns. Samoa has withdrawn some athletes from the Games. Two months before the scheduled opening ceremony, the United States appealed to its citizens not to visit Japan for the Olympics.