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.
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
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.
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
China hopes Japan can reflect on history and pursue peaceful development, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday, after the Japanese government announced plans to increase defense spending.
China opposes any infringement on its sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands committed by Japanese aircraft or vessels and remains vigilant against attempts to commit such acts, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.
Cheng Yonghua, China's ambassador to Japan, rejected a protest by Tokyo over Chinese vessels patrolling waters off the Diaoyu Islands.
Patrol fleet busy due to islets dispute
Japan's diplomacy seeks to isolate China
China Marine Surveillance (CMS) patrol ships had a busy year in 2012 due to the escalation of a territorial dispute between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, according to CMS officials.