Abe going to Games, but he won’t meet Xi

TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe may attend the opening ceremony for the Sochi Winter Olympics, but China has ruled out any formal meeting with President Xi Jinping, whose attendance at the Games has already been confirmed.

Japan’s ties with China have deteriorated recently due to a series of disputes, including Abe’s visit to a shrine seen as a symbol of Japanese militarism - a visit that infuriated South Korea, which also suffered from Japan’s wartime aggression.

Xi will visit Russia from Feb. 6 to 8 to attend the opening, China said on Monday. Japanese chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said last week plans were being made for Abe’s trip to Sochi to attend the opening, but nothing had been finalized.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping, speaking in Beijing yesterday, said Xi had no plans to meet any Japanese leader in Sochi. Reuters