WASHINGTON (WASHINGTON POST) - Arrangements are underway for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in late December in Beijing, it has been learnt.

Ahead of Abe attending a trilateral meeting with Chinese and South Korean leaders in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Abe plans to visit Beijing in order to meet with Xi.

Abe's visit is aimed at confirming cooperation with the Chinese president, who is scheduled to visit Tokyo as a state guest in April.

Abe is expected to visit China from Dec 23 to 25. After the meeting with Xi on Dec 23, Abe is to visit Chengdu to attend the trilateral summit meeting chaired by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Dec 24.

Abe's visit to China will be the first since he visited Beijing in October last year, and his meeting with Xi will be the first since Abe chaired a summit meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies held in Osaka in June.

During the upcoming meeting, Abe is expected to have a discussion with Xi about the situation in North Korea and the US-China relationship, as well as the Japan-China relationship.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to attend the trilateral talks. Whether Abe and Moon will hold bilateral talks remains to be seen.