BEIJING  -- China and Japan are preparing for the meetings between the two countries' leaders in Philippines, said Cui Tiankai, Chinese assistant foreign minister on Wednesday.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tries on a pair of sunglasses presented to him by Bono during a meeting at his official residence in Tokyo November 29, 2006. [Reuters]

Cui made the remark at a press conference on Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit to the Philippines for a series of meetings held in the country's Cebu City from December 11 to 14.

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"The two sides are making active preparation work for the meeting between the two countries' leaders," said Cui when responding to a journalist's question on whether Premier Wen would hold bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the meetings in Philippines.

He neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of the meeting between Wen and Abe.

On Sunday's meeting with Japanese Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Fuyushiba Tetsuzo, Chinese State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan had said Wen would meet with Abe in the Philippines.

The meetings in Philippines will include the 10th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) summit, the 10th China-ASEAN summit, an east Asian regional summit and the 7th annual meeting of leaders of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

When responding to a question on whether China and Japan will discuss the matter of Hu's visit to Japan at the 7th China, Japan and ROK leaders' meeting, Cui said the meeting would be a trilateral meeting and only discuss issues of trilateral cooperation.

"China and Japan had faced a good trend and opportunity for the development of bilateral relations and the two sides should seize the opportunity to further promote the improvement and development of bilateral relations," Cui said.

Abe had paid a visit to China in October, during which he had met Chinese President Hu Jintao as well as Premier Wen. His visit was believed to be a sign for the improvement of China-Japan relations.

Hu and Abe met again during the 14th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum last month in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam.