Koizumi, Wen to meet in Bali

Koizumi, Wen to meet in Bali

HONG KONG: Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Bali next month, Kyodo reported on Wednesday quoting a Japanese official.

Among the topics the two will discuss during the Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 summit will be efforts to restart the six-way talks over North Korea's nuclear ambitions, the official said.

They are also expected to discuss North Korean abductions of Japanese nationals, for which Tokyo is expected to seek Chinese help in finding a resolution, he added.

Further, they will touch on the issue of leaking mustard gas canisters dumped in China by the retreating Japanese imperial army at the end of World War II.

The meeting on the resort island will be the first high-level talks between the two countries since Chinese President Hu Jintao came to power in March, Kyodo reported.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing arranged the meeting, the official said. -- AFP