Katsusada Hirose, vice minister of economy, trade and industry, will visit China later this week to attend a high-level meeting and inspect joint projects on information technology, it was announced on Monday.

During a five-day visit to China starting Thursday, Hirose will exchange information and opinions with China's senior officials at the State Development Planning Commission on such issues as macroeconomic policy involving the two countries and energy issues.

"We are interested in China's macroeconomic policies, and I believe that the Chinese side has similar interests in Japan's economic and industrial policy," Hirose told a regular news conference.

Hirose said he also plans to inspect model projects on information technology in Liaoning Province being jointly carried out by Japan and China, and exchange opinions with local government officials.

Meanwhile, the top ministry bureaucrat also said that the government will begin examining the issue of forming a free-trade agreement with South Korea based on a proposal made by business leaders last week.

Last week, business leaders in the two countries agreed that the two countries should create a FTA and that two governments should examine the issue to that end.