Abe, Chinese premier to hold talks in Philippines

November 10, 2017

TOKYO- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in the Philippines on the sidelines of an upcoming summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday.

Ahead of the ASEAN summit in Manila from Monday, Abe will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Vietnam on Saturday.

In a series of high-level talks with China, Japan aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation on North Korea.

"We hope that the two leaders (in the Philippines) will agree on further improvements in bilateral relations prior to the 40th anniversary next year of the conclusion of the Japan-China peace and friendship treaty and that the talks will help strengthen trust between the leaders," Suga told a press conference.

Suga also said that China's role in handling the North Korean threat is "extremely important." Jiji Press