The two countries are to hold a working-level meeting on Monday in Beijing to discuss the restrictions, which came into force on April 23, the ministry said in a statement.

Japan is to send a team comprising officials from the agricultural ministry, trade ministry and foreign ministry to visit the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation.

The restrictions targeted imports of spring onions, mushrooms and tatami mat rushes, mainly from China.

"We plan to brief the Chinese side about how we have been implementing the safeguard measures," an agricultural ministry official said.

"We are not clear how China will react, but we hope to explain to them we imposed our measure in line with WTO rules," he said, adding that Tokyo planned to table no new specific proposals.

The new tariffs - of between 106 and 266 per cent - affect only imports of agricultural products in excess of the average volume imported from 1997 to 1999.

Around 98 per cent of spring onions and 99 per cent of shiitake mushrooms and rush products imported by Japan come from China.

Agencies via Xinhua

| frontpage | nation | business | HK\Taiwan | snapshots | focus |
| governmentinfo | economic insights | campus life | Shanghai today | metropolitan |