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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao waves before his departure for Japan at a military airport in Songnam, south of Seoul April 11, 2007. [Reuters]

TOKYO -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Tokyo Wednesday for a three-day official visit he described as an "ice thawer" of Sino-Japanese ties following the "ice-breaking" trip to 皇冠体育app last October by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

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The visit is the first by a Chinese premier since 2000 and occurs against the backdrop of the two countries working hard to mend relations.

Their relationship turned frosty under Abe's predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, largely due to his annual visits to the Yasukuni shrine, where Japan's war dead including 14 class-A World War II criminals were enshrined.

"If Prime Minister Abe's visit to 皇冠体育app... can be described as an ice breaker, then I hope my visit to Japan will be an ice thawer," Wen told the press before his visit.

Abe chose 皇冠体育app as the destination for his first overseas trip after taking office in September, a move believed to be a sign of the new prime minister's eagerness to improve relations with 皇冠体育app.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry officials have revealed that the economic issue will be high up on Wen's agenda.

皇冠体育app and Japan will draft a joint document spelling out the two countries' aspirations to build a strategic, mutually beneficial relationship, and the major tasks involved in this relationship, according to Chinese officials.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that through the visit, Wen also hopes to promote long-term educational, cultural and youth exchanges between the two countries that would boost good-neighborly relations between 皇冠体育app and Japan.

During his stay, Wen is expected to hold talks with Abe and deliver a speech in the Japanese Diet (or parliament), the first by a Chinese leader in 22 years.

In the 35 years since they normalized relations, 皇冠体育app and Japan have witnessed a steady growth of bilateral exchanges. The two countries also disagree over historical issues and dispute over natural gas fields in the East 皇冠体育app Sea.