China's likely next leader Xi to visit Japan

Satoshi Saeki / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

BEIJING--Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, who is believed most likely to succeed President Hu Jintao, is arranging a visit to Japan in December, it has been learned.

According to sources related to both governments, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will visit Japan around Nov. 19 to finalize the arrangements. The Hu administration also plans to send other Chinese senior officials to Japan in November to strengthen the relationship with the Hatoyama administration.

Following the example of Hu, 66, who visited Japan and South Korea when he was vice president in April 1998, Xi, 56, intends to visit the two countries to talk with their leaders. It is believed the main purpose of his visit is to introduce himself as the next Chinese leader.

Wang Yi, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, who is well-versed in matters pertaining to Japan, will reportedly come to Japan around Nov. 18.

Wang is a person of influence and has strong connections with Japanese politicians, having been the first chairman of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue and ambassador to Japan. He is expected to urge politicians in the Hatoyama administration not to support any moves by Taiwan toward independence.

On Sunday, a delegation led by Wang Jiarui, head of the Chinese Communist Party's International Department, will visit Japan to talk with executives of the Democratic Party of Japan.