OSAKA — A year ago, when Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto announced his candidacy, he made saving the prefecture from bankruptcy his priority.

Few expected him to spend much time traveling abroad on official business. While campaigning and even immediately after his victory, Hashimoto showed little interest in promoting Osaka, which has an economy nearly the size of Spain's, to the outside world.

But after prodding from the Kansai business community, Hashimoto has now become something of a China hand. The governor, whose only trip outside Japan before assuming his post in February had been to Guam, made three trips to China in his first nine months in office and hosted Chinese President Hu Jintao and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi during their official visits to Japan this spring.