She is Japan's first "first lady" in more than five years. Dressed in a chic grey suit over a black shirt, Akie Abe accompanied her husband on the first visit to China by a Japanese prime minister in over five years.

While Shinzo Abe was busy meeting China's leaders, Akie was making efforts yesterday afternoon to improve people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

Akie's schedule was also tight: visiting Yuetan Middle School in downtown Beijing and meeting Deng Pufang, chairman of the China's Disabled Persons' Federation.

Akie, 44, who is reported to be fond of an occasional drink and is a fan of South Korean TV dramas, said that she would seek a "tender way" to introduce Japan to the rest of the world.

While her husband was busy with high-profile meetings, Akie was glad to have the chance to promote grassroots exchanges between Japan and China.

Akie's visit to Yuetan Middle School was not only warmly welcomed by students, but also aroused a great deal of media attention, with more than 80 Chinese and foreign reporters in attendance.

The premier's wife sat in on a Japanese class at the school the only secondary school in Beijing where Japanese is taught to junior and senior high students and later took the opportunity to have a chat with some of the students.

The students first introduced themselves to their special visitor in Japanese. They then expressed their ideas on how to promote Sino-Japanese relations.