Senior officials of Japan's ruling parties are expected to meet with a high-ranking official of the Chinese Communist Party next week.

Sources say Liu Jianchao, the head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee, plans to visit Japan. They say the Japanese main ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito invited him.

Arrangements are underway for a meeting on May 29 between Liu and Japanese ruling party officials, including LDP's Secretary-General Motegi Toshimitsu and Komeito's Chief Representative Yamaguchi Natsuo.

They are expected to discuss the resumption of consultative meetings between senior officials of the two countries' governing parties.

The officials used to hold a meeting about once a year, but they have not met since 2018. In November last year, Komeito's leader Yamaguchi visited Beijing and agreed with senior Communist Party officials to make efforts to resume the meeting.

Liu is viewed as an important figure who may assume a key role in Chinese diplomacy in the near future.