Despite speculation that Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit to Japan may be postponed by the deadly coronavirus outbreak, Japan and China are confident the plan is intact.
Chinese foreign policy chief Yang Jiechi held a series of meetings Friday in Tokyo with Japanese leaders including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe told Yang the visit is "extremely important" for bilateral ties and it was necessary to ensure it is of substance.
Xi is slated to make the trip in April and will be the first Chinese president to make a state visit since Hu Jintao in May 2008.