Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa will visit Japan in December, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said here Sunday.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and Tung agreed on the visit at a breakfast meeting Sunday, with the itinerary to be worked out later, the official said.
The two also discussed the "one country, two systems" formula that has been applied to Hong Kong since its reversion from Britain to China in 1997, with Tung saying the system is gaining a "solid foundation."
Kono and Tung also agreed that Hong Kong's economy is improving. Tung, meanwhile, stressed the importance of Hong Kong's relationship with Japan, mentioning the role of Japanese financial firms, tourism and investment.
Kono stopped overnight in Hong Kong on his way back from Bangkok, where he met his counterparts from the Asia-Pacific region and took part in the ASEAN Regional Forum -- the region's only political and security gathering.
In Bangkok, Kono also met his North Korean counterpart, the first time the two countries' foreign ministers have met.
The two agreed to resume negotiations on normalizing bilateral ties in Tokyo on Aug. 21.