Kantaro Koiya, Daniel Leussink

TOKYO (Reuters] – Japan has announced that it will not send a delegation of its government to Beijing’s Winter Olympics on February 7, according to a statement made Friday. The move is expected to intensify tensions between Japan and China.

Although Japan did not specifically label its decision as such, it was following a U.S.-led diplomatic ban on the Games.

Japan is a strong partner with the United States and has also established strong economic relations to China.

Tokyo will not send an official delegation to the 2022 Winter Games. However, some people with direct connections to the Olympics will be sent, said Hirokazu Matsuno Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Seiko Hashimoto is the head of Tokyo 2020’s organising committee and the heads of both the national Olympic and Paralympic Committees are also included in this group.

Matsuno stated that Japan believes it is important for China’s freedom, respect for basic rights, and rule of law to be universal values of international community.

Japan would address such China issues directly at all levels, he said. He added that the Tokyo Games this year showed that the Olympics and Paralympics are a celebration for peace and sports that inspire courage around the globe.

He said that Japan’s government made its decision on the response to Beijing Winter Olympics after taking into account these points and then deciding for itself.

Matsuno stated that Japanese officials were not absent under any “specific term”, which indicated that the government wasn’t calling it a boycott.

Zhao Lijian from China’s foreign ministry stated at a news conference in Beijing that China welcomes the Olympic officials and athletes hailing from Japan.

China didn’t send a delegation of government officials to Tokyo Summer Olympics, this year. Instead, it sent a delegation led by the chief of the sports bureau.

Japan tends to take a more relaxed tone when it comes to the question of Chinese human rights. This is due to its dependence on China as both a manufacturing center and as a source for goods such as automobiles and construction equipment.

However, Fumio Kishida, the Prime Minister, has been under increasing pressure from his Liberal Democratic Party to adopt a more aggressive stance towards China, NHK reported.