Reversing a decision to skip next week's Asia-Europe Meeting, Prime Minister Naoto Kan will make a three-day trip to Brussels starting Sunday, where Tokyo is exploring the possibility of organizing talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said Tuesday.
Kan did not initially plan on attending the international meeting because of a scheduling conflict with the upcoming extraordinary Diet session.
But due to the heightening tension between Tokyo and Beijing over the incident earlier this month between a Chinese fishing boat and Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels off the disputed Senkaku Islands, the government apparently decided it was necessary to push its case at the international level.