Japan’s Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, Masaaki Kanai, is set to visit China on Monday, according to a report by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

During the trip, he is expected to hold talks with Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Department of Asian Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other officials.

NHK reported that Kanai will clarify that recent Taiwan-related comments made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi do not represent a shift in Japan’s long-standing position. He is also expected to convey Tokyo’s view that, despite differences in political stances, both sides should work to prevent such issues from hindering people-to-people exchanges.