TOKYO, Feb 27 — Japan said today that preparations for a rare state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping planned for April were going ahead, even as it called for sports and cultural events to be scaled down to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

"Things are on track for President Xi Jinping’s visit to Japan, and we are proceeding as usual with preparations,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference.

"A visit to Japan by the general secretary of China only happens once every 10 years.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi spoke by telephone yesterday evening to confirm the visit would go ahead, Japan said.

China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, will make a two-day visit to Japan from tomorrow, when he is due to meet with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. — Reuters