Chinese Official To Visit Japan On Feb 28-29 To Discuss Coronavirus, Xi's Visit - Reports

TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2020) Yang Jiechi, the director of the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China, will visit Japan from February 28-29 to discuss the situation around a new coronavirus as well as the upcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese media reported on Friday.

According to the Kyodo news agency, Yang will meet Japanese national security adviser Shigeru Kitamura as well as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as part of the visit.

Despite media reports about a possible postponement of Xi's visit to Japan, scheduled for early April, the trip of the Chinese president will be on the agenda of Yang's talks with Japanese officials.

Xi's visit is reportedly in jeopardy over the outbreak of the new coronavirus in China.

The new strain of coronavirus - COVID-19 - was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, located in the province of Hubei, in December and has since spread to more than 25 countries. The epidemic has already resulted in the death of more than 1,300 people in China.

In late January, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in light of the outbreak.