China reverses policy of banning Japanese runners for Beijing Marathon
Beijing, Nov. 12 (ANI)
The organizer of the Beijing Marathon has started accepting applications from Japanese runners, reversing its initial stance of refusing them from participating in the event.
The organizer had earlier removed 'Japan' from the nationalities on the application form on its official website, probably in the face of a bilateral territorial row over a group of islands with Japan.
According to the Japan Times, the organizers reversed its stance after the Japanese Embassy in Beijing requested it to accept Japanese runners.
The two countries have been at odds over the sovereignty of the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, claimed by China, which calls them Diaoyu.