Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Japan, already delayed by one year, will probably be further postponed until 2022, because of Tokyo’s concern over Beijing’s handling of issues including Hong Kong and Xinjiang to a territorial dispute in the East China Sea, according to a media report.

The reasons for a further delay, according to the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun, include the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing’s deployment of coastguard vessels to the disputed Diaoyu Islands – known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan – and its new maritime law empowering mainland vessels to use lethal weapons in conflicts.

Recent human rights issues, including Beijing’s imposition of a national security law in Hong Kong, its mass arrests of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures and its suppression of Muslims in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, all add to Tokyo’s concern, the report said.

Acceptance to a state visit by the top Chinese leader this year could be misconstrued by the international community as Tokyo’s acceptance of China’s abuses, Sankei Shimbun said.

A government survey in February showed that 77.3% of Japanese people had negative feelings toward China, making it impossible for Xi to meet Japanese Emperor Naruhito if his visit went ahead now, the newspaper said.

While Xi’s visit is unlikely this year, Tokyo would watch for improvements in China’s behavior in the coming months to decide whether it could take place next year, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Sino-Japanese formal relations, Sankei Shimbun said, citing unnamed senior Japanese officials.

Xi’s visit to Japan, originally scheduled for early 2020, was postponed earlier because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing’s repression in Hong Kong and the territorial dispute over the Diaoyu Islands.

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