China mulls more aid for Japan

Beijing - China is considering more aid for disaster-hit Japan, but needs to discuss this first with the Japanese side, a Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to the country this weekend.

Wen will attend the annual trilateral summit of the leaders of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) during his May 21-22 trip, and hold bilateral talks with his Japanese and ROK counterparts on the sidelines.

Before the Sunday meeting, Wen will visit Miyagi and Fukushima, where the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, to show China's support for the nation's reconstruction efforts, Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told a news conference in Beijing.