TOKYO (AFP) - Japan and China began vice-ministerial level talks in Tokyo just a few days ahead of Japan's new administration, in a bid to seek ways to ease strained ties between the two Asian powers.

Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo (R) is welcomed by his Japanese counterpart Shotaro Yachi (L) prior to their meeting at the Foreign Ministry's Iikura guesthouse in Tokyo. Japan and China began vice-ministerial level talks just a few days ahead of Japan's new administration, in a bid to seek ways to ease strained ties between the two Asian powers.[AFP]

Japanese vice foreign minister Shotaro Yachi and his counterpart Dai Bingguo started talks Saturday morning.

Yachi is expected to propose an early realisation of a bilateral summit between Japan's hawkish next prime minister Shinzo Abe and his Chinese counterpart.

"The talks are to end within the day but may be extended to Sunday depending on the development of the discussion," a Japanese official said.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who inflamed China and South Korea for his repeated visits to a Tokyo war shrine, will step down on Tuesday.

Abe, elected head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, is certain to be appointed the next prime minister on the same day.

Koizumi has not met formally with Chinese top leaders since April last year.

Abe, the chief cabinet secretary, is also a strong supporter of visits to the Yasukuni shrine, which honors war dead and war criminals and is seen by neighboring countries as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

But he has refused to say if he would go as prime minister and is reportedly seeking to arrange talks with China and South Korea.

Foreign ministries of the two Asian neighbors have conducted vice-ministerial level of talks five times since last year, despite tension over Koizumi's repeated visits to the war shrine.