Trump last year skipped an ASEAN summit and parallel East Asia Summit in Bangkok. He instead sent US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, in the lowest-level participation ever by the US in the East Asia Summit. In Japan, major cherry blossom festivals have been canceled due to an outbreak of COVID-19, the latest in a growing list of events quashed as the virus spreads globally. Other cherry blossom events — feverishly anticipated by locals and tourists — are likely to follow suit, local media reported. The organizers of Tokyo’s Nakameguro Cherry Blossom Festival said that people could still enjoy the blooming trees that grow along public roads.

Source: Taipei Times February 29, 2020 15:56 UTC