China's ties with Japan closer via diplomacy

BEIJING - In the latest move toward a resumption of normal Sino-Japanese relations, Premier Wen Jiabao and his Japanese counterpart Naoto Kan are expected to hold talks later this month.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu, however, declined to fully elaborate during a regular news briefing on Thursday, saying only that preparations are "under way".

The meeting is to be arranged on the sidelines of a series of summit meetings concerning the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the end of this month in Hanoi, capital city of Vietnam.