Ozawa beats Fukuda to China visit

Mr Ozawa is expected to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao to discuss trade and diplomatic relations.

Japan and China announced on Monday that they would hold a second round of economic talks by the end of 2008.

Mr Fukuda's party has criticised Mr Ozawa for leaving Japan while a major debate on the navy is still under way.

Mr Ozawa has been joined on the visit by 44 members of his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), including his deputy Naoto Kan, and about 400 members of the public.

He told reporters that he travels to Beijing annually as part of grassroots exchange programme.

Timing questioned

Nobutaka Machimura, chief spokesman for Mr Fukuda's Liberal Democratic Party-led (LDP), was critical about Mr Ozama's timing.

"So many of his party members left the country when the parliament session is coming to an important stage in debate," he said.

"The LDP would have never allowed it. The LDP has better principles, better standards of judgement."

Mr Fukuda has urged the parliament, which is controlled by the opposition, to pass a bill which would to allow Japanese warships to recommence refueling of vessels involved in the US-led fighting in Afghanistan.

Refueling was halted in November after opposition lawmakers rejected an extension of the mandate, saying it violated Japan's pacifist constitution.

The revised legislation, which limits the ships Japan can assist, has not yet been enough to convince the opposition and Mr Fukuda has suggested he could call a snap general election if the deadlock continues.

Improved relations

Mr Fukuda has stressed the importance of improving relations with China since he came to power in September.

His conciliatory gestures to Beijing have included a promise that he would not visit the contentious Yasukuni shrine where Japan's war dead, including 14 convicted war criminals, are commmorated.

Japan's efforts were acknowledged by China's President Hu Jintao in a meeting with Foreign Minister Masahiko Komuraon on Monday.

"You have worked hard to develop China-Japan relations. We applaud this... We can say your visit has been successful in pushing for more progress in trade and commerce and in the overall relations between our nations," he said.

The countries have arranged to stage a second round of high-profile talks by the end of 2008 to improve economic co-operation.

In response to Mr Fukuda's plan to visit China by late this year or early in 2008, Mr Hu has said he will visit Japan early next year.

Mr Fukuda said he had nothing to say about Mr Ozawa's visit, as long as the DPJ passed the refueling bill.