Beijing film festival to skip Japan week amid strained bilateral ties

BEIJING - The annual Beijing International Film Festival scheduled for April this year will skip a program featuring Japanese movies, organizers said Tuesday, as bilateral ties remain strained following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on a Taiwan contingency.

The Japan week had been held as part of the Beijing event and the Shanghai International Film Festival almost every year since 2006. In Japan, the Tokyo International Film Festival has featured Chinese movies in its China week.