President Hu Jintao will start a five-day visit to Japan next Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry announced yesterday - signaling a further warming of relations.

The visit will be the first by a Chinese president in 10 years and "we hope we can enhance mutual political trust and pragmatic cooperation through the trip," spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular briefing.

She said Hu will meet Japanese Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.