INTERNATIONAL: Japan will not send a government delegation to next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing, it made the announcement on Friday, a move that stops short of joining a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott of the Games, but one nonetheless likely to deepen tension with China.

The boycott, driven by Washington and including some of its allies, has become another delicate issue for Japan, a close partner of the U.S. that also has strong economic ties to China.

Japan will instead send some officials with direct ties to the Games, including politician Seiko Hashimoto, head of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, as well as the heads of the domestic Olympic and Paralympic committees, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno.

The diplomatic boycott by the U.S. and other countries stems from concerns about human rights in China, but Japan has taken a softer tone on the issue.