With Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set to make two major speeches — one in Indonesia on Wednesday and another in Washington at the end of this month — China and South Korea are closely watching to see if Abe offers a "heartfelt apology" to the people of Asian nations affected by Japan's "colonial rule and aggression" during and before World War II.

Abe has expressed Japan's "deep remorse" for the war before, but it is not known if he will use these two phrases contained in past Japanese statements in a new statement he is preparing to issue in August marking the 70th anniversary of the war's end.

Because the speeches are likely to serve as an outline for his statement, China and South Korea, and most likely North Korea, will be paying close attention to Abe's addresses at the two-day Asian-African Summit in Jakarta, which kicks off Wednesday, and at a joint session of the U.S. Congress on April 29.