TOKYO, May 24: Japan said on Thursday it is trying to arrange a meeting between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Germany next month.

Japan and China have been working to repair relations since Abe last year replaced Junichiro Koizumi, who outraged Beijing and Seoul with his visits to a shrine linked to Japan's imperialist past.

“We are trying to coordinate a meeting and nothing has been decided at this stage,” chief government spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki told reporters.

He was replying to a report by Kyodo News, which quoted unnamed government sources as saying Abe and Hu would meet.

Host Germany has invited Hu to take part in the three-day summit of leading industrialised nations, which begins June 6 at the coastal resort of Heiligendamm.

Kyodo News said the two leaders would discuss bilateral issues including a dispute over gas fields in the East China Sea.

China also declined to confirm a summit.

“(The) G8 will have a dialogue meeting with developing countries including China, India, Mexico and other countries,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said when asked about a summit.—AFP