Japan's New Komeito Party's leader Natsuo Yamaguchi said Thursday that he will pay a four-day visit to China from next Tuesday.
Shinzo Abe kicked off his first overseas visit since his election victory in a bid, analysts said, to bolster Japan's regional influence and try to contain China.China alert to escalation Chinese leader calls for talks Comment: Abe's dangerous doctrine
Top political advisor Jia Qinglin said Wednesday that China and Japan should resolve the Diaoyu Islands dispute through dialogue and consultation.
China is on high alert for Japan escalating tensions over the Diaoyu Islands.
Yukio Hatoyama will meet key Chinese officials to exchange views on the lingering tensions between the two largest economies in Asia.China plans Diaoyu Islands mapping US and Japan conduct joint drill
Japan's growth hurt by row with China
The National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation and the military will jointly conduct a detailed survey of the country's islands, including the Diaoyu Islands.
Former Japanese PM Yukio Hatoyama is scheduled to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for a four-day visit, a move analysts said will build a communication channel.
Special: China-Japan Dispute over Diaoyu Islands
A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry on Friday urged the Japanese government to "face reality" in Sino-Japanese relations.
China's Ministry of National Defense confirmed that it scrambled two J-10 fighters to the East China Sea after a Y-8 aircraft was closely followed by two Japanese F-15 fighters.China vows to beef up maritime securityMilitary jets on 'routine flights' over E. China Sea Japan responsible for plight with China
China said Friday that Chinese military planes were on "routine flights" in relevant airspace over the East China Sea.Speed called for on maritime law
US calls for calm over islands
The Japanese economy, under the burden of years of deflation and an aging population, has been the "Patient of Asia" for the last two decades.
As tension flared anew between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, a senior State Department official said the United States wants cooler heads to prevail. Speed called for on maritime law