NHK has learned that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit Japan as early as next month to meet his Japanese counterpart, Motegi Toshimitsu.

A meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is also being arranged. It would be Suga's first face-to-face talks with a senior Chinese official since assuming the post.

The moves follow a telephone conversation between Suga and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

They underscored the importance of high-level communication, including between the leaders, and agreed to work closely together.

Japan's prime minister will likely meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he visits Japan early next month.

The meetings with US and Chinese officials would come amid growing tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Suga places the Japan-US alliance at the core of his diplomacy, and he also seeks to maintain communication with China with the goal of building stable relations.

The prime minister is expected to convey his intentions to Wang at their meeting.