China cancels meeting with Japan

China’s vice-premier called off a meeting with the Japanese prime minister and suddenly left Tokyo today – a day earlier than expected – but Beijing’s reasons for ending a visit aimed at repairing strained relations remained a mystery.

Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi’s scheduled talks with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today was to have capped Wu’s eight-day trip to Japan, the first by a top Chinese official in over a year.