The government formally decided Thursday to invite Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji to make an official visit to Japan between Oct. 12 and Oct. 17, a government official said.
According to the itinerary endorsed in a Cabinet meeting, Zhu will hold talks with Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori on Oct. 13 to discuss Japan-China relations in the 21st century and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Zhu, who hopes to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, will also attend a welcoming lunch sponsored by a number of economic organizations during his visit, the official said.
The official said the Chinese premier will probably tour a testing facility for a maglev train in Yamanashi Prefecture in connection with the planned construction of a high-speed railway between Beijing and Shanghai.