The leader of Komeito, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is set to forgo a visit to China tentatively planned for this month, several sources familiar with Japan-China relations have said.
Natsuo Yamaguchi's plans may have been affected by Tokyo's recent tightening of border controls on visitors from mainland China amid a surge of coronavirus infections in the country after Beijing significantly relaxed its strict antivirus measures last month.
China has criticized Japan's move, saying the antivirus steps should be "science-based and proportionate" and should not affect normal personnel exchanges and cooperation.
In November, the Komeito leader met with the Chinese ambassador to Japan, Kong Xuanyou, and expressed a willingness to visit China before an ordinary parliament session convenes in January.
The sources said Friday that he also exchanged views with Liu Jianchao, head of the International Liaison Department of China's ruling Communist Party, in late December and was arranging a trip to the neighboring country in mid-January.
Yamaguchi visited China in January 2013 and held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help ease strained bilateral ties over a dispute involving the Tokyo-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are also claimed by Beijing, where they are known as the Diaoyu.
If the trip had materialized, Yamaguchi planned to call for more people-to-people exchanges between the two Asian neighbors and stronger economic cooperation.
Although the two countries mark the 45th anniversary this year of the signing of the bilateral Treaty of Peace and Friendship, their ties remain precarious amid an intensifying rivalry between China and the United States, Japan's security ally, as well as Beijing's increased military activities in waters near Japan.