Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi says that she has agreed with China that the foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China should hold meetings annually.

According to Japanese media, Kawaguchi proposed regularizing the three-way meeting during talks with her Chinese counterpart Li Zhaoxing on Saturday in Beijing, to which Li consented.

Kawaguchi told reporters Sunday that such meetings would be significant in coping with regional issues. She added that they would be held once a year separately from meetings held on the sidelines of international conferences. Kawaguchi said that discussions are underway on the date and venue for the first such trilateral meeting.

Meanwhile, during her meeting with Premier Wen Jiabo, Kawaguchi invited the Chinese official to visit Japan. However, Wen turned down the invitation, saying he wants to visit Tokyo amid