Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said today that he and the country are sincerely looking forward to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit in April, Xinhua news agency reported.

Abe made the remarks during a meeting with the secretary generals of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and Komei Party this morning in Tokyo, Xinhua said.

The Liberal Democratic Party's Hidenao Nakagawa and the Komei Party's Kazuo Kitagawa are heading for China today after the meeting as a warming tour for Wen's visit.

The two secretary generals will also transfer a handwritten letter by Abe to the Chinese President Hu Jintao, Xinhua said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on March 6 that the Sino-Japan relationship has been improving since Abe's ice-breaking visit to China last October.

Li also expressed his confidence in Wen's April visit.

A delegation from China's National People's Congress is set to visit Japan from March 22 to 28 and attend the first meeting on the exchange mechanism between the two top legislative bodies.

The delegation is headed by Lu Yongxiang, vice chairman of the NPC standing committee, Xinhua said.

China and Japan launched regular exchange mechanisms last October between the NPC and Japan's House of councilors when Japan's upper house president Chikage Ogi visited China.