China hopes Japan will not politicize sports: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday Japan is hoped and urged to take concrete actions to honor its word on supporting each other in hosting the Olympics and on not politicizing sports.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to media reports that Japan's Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita, Paralympic Committee President Kazuyuki Mori, and Tokyo 2020 organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto will attend the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and Japan's delegation of athletes will compete in the Beijing Games as scheduled, but Japan has no plans to send a government delegation.

"China welcomes representatives of Japan's Olympic Committee and other organizations as well as Japanese athletes to the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics," Zhao said, adding that Japan and China agreed to support each other in hosting the Olympics.

"The Japanese side is hoped and urged to take concrete actions to honor its word on this and on not politicizing sports," Zhao said.

"China has every confidence that working together with all sides under the Olympic motto of 'together', China will deliver a streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic event to the world," he added.