On 13 March, Ambassador Liu Xiaoming met with Yasumasa Nagamine, new Japanese Ambassador to the UK, at the Chinese Embassy.

Ambassador Liu extended welcome to the new Japanese Ambassador to the UK, saying that China-Japan relations enjoy a good momentum of development, with close high-level contact and deepening communication in the areas of business, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. China is ready to work together with Japan to deliver on the key consensus between the leaders of the two countries, to make preparations to ensure the success of President Xi's state visit to Japan, and to build a new pattern of bilateral relations featuring joint cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results.

Ambassador Liu gave an update on China’s remarkable results in containing the Covid-19 outbreak and China’s efforts in aiding Japan and other countries in this battle and thanked Japan for its invaluable support to China along the way. He extended China’s empathy to Japan for what it is going through in face of the pandemic and China’s readiness to continue all its possible assistance to Japan. “The Covid-19 can neither deter Chinese and Japanese people from supporting and helping each other in the fight against the epidemic, nor prevent our two countries from strengthening bilateral and multilateral medical cooperation and contributing to global public health,” the Ambassador said.

Ambassador Nagamine extended his sympathy to Chinese people amid the Covid-19 outbreak and thanks to China for its enormous support to Japan in the evacuation of Japanese nationals from China and in the battle against the outbreak. He said that Japan attaches great importance to Japan-China relationship and is willing to work closely with China to maintain the sound momentum of their bilateral relations. President Xi’s state visit to Japan is of great significance in further enhancing Japan-China relationship. Japan is committed to making thoughtful preparations to ensure the success of the visit. Japan is also ready to strengthen cooperation with China in fighting the pandemic, making public health a new frontier of Japan-China collaboration, and provide useful experiences for the region and the world.

Ambassador Nagamine updated information about Japan’s preparations for Tokyo Olympics. Ambassador Liu expressed China’s firm support to Japan in hosting a smooth and successful Olympic Games.