DHAKA: The Japanese and Chinese governments are making final arrangements for talks between Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese president Xi Jinping, to be held on the sidelines of the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing next week.

Japan government sources said, reports The Straits Times.

The meeting will be the first meeting between the two leaders since Abe came into power in December 2012, as tensions have run high between the two countries over Japan’s war-time aggression and long-time territorial disputes.

Previously, the closest they got to a meeting was a brief conversation at the sidelines of an international conference.

Japanese and Chinese officials are discussing necessary arrangements through an unofficial channel, including what format should be adopted for a meeting between the two leaders, according to the sources.

Whether Abe and Xi will hold talks now is the subject of international attention. Given this, China is believed to have concluded that as the host of the Apec meeting, it should consider arranging for a bilateral summit to take place.

BDST: 2037 HRS, NOV 06, 2014