Sounds like bullshit, imo. It's not impossible to send Leon to Asia, he's just an American agent who represents the interests of the American establishment, so the plot needs a good excuse to send such an agent outside the jurisdiction of the United States. And no current storyline predisposes to such a situation. I can't think of any. Kennedy won't investigate The Connections, for example, because it's none of his business. Jill can join Chris instead, and we know that Capcom has been preparing something with her for some time.