NARA — Amid growing tensions between Japan and China, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation kicked off its tourism conference Wednesday in the ancient capital of Nara, where delegates discussed regional tourism trends since the economic crisis of 2008, when they last met, and ways to improve Asia's tourism infrastructure.
The row between Tokyo and Beijing over the arrest of the captain of a Chinese boat near the Senkaku Islands — claimed by both nations and Taiwan — cast a pall over the meeting of officials from the 21 APEC member nations.
On Tuesday, newly appointed Land, Transport, Infrastructure and Tourism Minister Sumio Mabuchi said he would not meet with Zhu Shanzhong, vice chairman of the China National Tourism Administration and China's top delegate at the Nara meeting. Zhu was supposed to pay a courtesy call on the minister.