Amid tense bilateral ties, China informed Japan on Friday that it will not participate in an international fleet review slated for Nov. 6 in Sagami Bay off Kanagawa Prefecture, according to the Defense Ministry.
While China will not attend the event, it has expressed an intention to send a delegation to a two-day Western Pacific Naval Symposium to be held in Yokohama from Nov. 7, the ministry said.
Japan had extended an invitation to all other member nations of the biennial naval symposium to attend the review but later rescinded its invitation to Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in late February.
China and South Korea had yet to communicate to Japan their positions on participating in the fleet review despite the deadline for the event passing more than two weeks ago.
But the South Korean navy said Thursday it will send a supply vessel for the review, reflecting Seoul's desire to improve relations with Japan after President Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May.
The Maritime Self-Defense Force said Tuesday that 18 vessels from 12 nations, including the United States, Britain and Australia, as well as five U.S. warplanes, are expected to attend the event.
Japan has, in principle, held the fleet review every three years.