Japan and China plan to discuss details of the considered visit by holding a meeting of Abe and Wen on the occasion of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus Japan, China and South Korea to be held in mid-December in the Philippines, they said.

The two nations are also studying materializing a visit to Japan by Chinese President Hu Jintao in the latter half of next year, according to the sources.

China has sounded out a visit by Wen in late March while Japan has proposed April as the time of the visit, the sources said.

If Wen does visit Japan, he and Abe are expected to discuss Hu's visit, cooperation in environmental and energy saving issues, an early solution to a row over gas exploration in the East China Sea and the promotion of Japan-China defense exchanges, they said.

Abe's China visit and a meeting with Hu broke a lapse of five years in the reciprocal visits of leaders of the two countries under his predecessor Junichiro Koizumi over his visits to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine.

Japan sees 2007 as a year to promote cultural and sport exchanges with China as Beijing will host the Summer Olympics in 2008.