Japan's Abe to visit Beijing Oct 7-8 -- Kyodo

TOKYO, Oct 1 (Reuters) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to visit Beijing for two days from October seven and meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, Kyodo news agency reported today, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The report said Abe would meet the two leaders on Sunday, October eight. A Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman could not confirm the timing.

''In general, Japan wants to realise leaders' meetings with China and South Korea as soon as possible, that is true,'' the spokesman said. ''But as for the timing, I am not in a position to oonfirm.'' Abe took office last Tuesday, succeeding Junichiro Koizumi.

Chinese and South Korean leaders had shunned meetings with Koizumi because of his visits to a Tokyo war shrine seen as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

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