Japan mulls sending trade minister to China for APEC meeting in May

TOKYO - Japan is thinking of sending trade minister Ryosei Akazawa to a regional economic meeting in China, sources familiar with the matter said Friday, possibly a sign of efforts to explore ways to mend the increasingly soured bilateral ties.

Akazawa's trip to attend a trade gathering of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, to be held in Suzhou for four days from May 20, would make him the first Japanese minister to make a visit to China since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks in November on a Taiwan contingency led to a diplomatic row with Beijing.