Japanese diplomat visits Beijing, says he is arranging Shinzo Abe’s visit to China
Expectations are growing that Abe will visit China around October 23, when the two nations celebrate the 40th anniversary of a bilateral peace and friendship treaty taking effect
Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Takeo Akiba said Wednesday that he has made arrangements with officials in Beijing for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to China, possibly in October, as relations between the two countries have been improving.
“I cannot mention the specific timing at this juncture, but we are arranging in an active manner” Abe’s visit to China, Akiba told reporters after he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng in Beijing.
Expectations are growing that Abe will visit China around October 23, when the two nations celebrate the 40th anniversary of a bilateral peace and friendship treaty taking effect, and will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It would be the first time since December 2011 for a Japanese prime minister to visit China, apart from trips to attend international conferences.
Akiba is also believed to have talked with Wang and Le about whether to hold a summit meeting between Abe and Xi on the fringes of the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia’s city of Vladivostok in September.