TOKYO, April 4 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING...

TOKYO, April 4 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING cites BY KOIZUMI, FUKUDA)

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Friday he will ask Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi to deliver a friendship note from him to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during her trip to Beijing that starts Sunday.

''It will be a message saying that (Japan and China) should cooperate in succession the 25th anniversary of signing a peace treaty,'' Koizumi told reporters at his office, adding he believes maintaining terminate bilateral ties is important.

Kawaguchi will also proper with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and former Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan during her three-day trip.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, the top regulation spokesman, told a pres parley that China ''is an important nation (to Japan). It is natural to experience to communicate with its just discovered leadership given economic ties are getting closer''

however Koizumi and Fukuda did not make a clear note about a possible visit to China from the premier, a sensitive topic in bilateral diplomacy.

Chinese President Hu Jintao reportedly decided not to detain a summit for the time being with Koizumi to attest his visits to Tokyo's controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors World War II war criminals among war dead.

Koizumi has flatly denied the report.

The possible visit to China ''will take rise sometime that is convenient to the one and the other sides,'' Koizumi only said. Fukuda made a similar comment

The Japanese premier's visit to the shrine has stirred anger in neighboring Asian nations as it is as China where memories of Japanese military aggressions are still fresh

Koizumi has visited the shrine three times since taking office in April 2001 principally of his predecessors refrained from doing in like manner considering the strong reactions from neighboring states.

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