Japan expects to sign a joint statement with China during the China-Japan high-level economic dialogue to be held on Saturday afternoon in Beijing, said a Japanese official on Friday.

Japan has paid much attention to the upcoming economic dialogue and sent six ministers to join, said Mitsuo Sakaba, press secretary for the Japanese Foreign Minister at a news briefing.

He said the dialogue would touch upon the issues of macro-economic policies, environment and energy-saving, trade and investment, as well as regional and international issues.

The dialogue will be co-chaired by Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura.

The China-Japan high-level economic dialogue mechanism was jointly launched by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during Wen's Japan trip in April.

The mechanism is aimed at communicating economic development strategies and macro-economic policies, coordinating economic cooperation, and increasing policy communications on major regional and international economic issues.

Besides joining the dialogue, Japanese Foreign Minister Komura will also pay a visit to China. He will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on bilateral relations and the regional and international affairs.

Other issues including the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula and the climate change would also be touched upon, he noted.

China and Japan would sign two documents on environmental protection and legal assistance on Saturday, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2007)