Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo is expected to leave for Japan Thursday as the head of a delegation for the second round of Sino-Japanese strategic talks, according to sources with the Foreign Ministry Tuesday.  

Dai will confer with Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Shotaro Yachi on Sino-Japanese relations and issues of mutual concern.

The first round of talks was conducted in Beijing on May 13 and 14. At the end of the talks, the two sides agreed to maintain the dialogue process, and held that the two-day dialogue was positive and helpful.

(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2005)