Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will embark on a seven-day trip to Vietnam and the Philippines later Thursday to attend annual meeting of regional leaders.
On the sidelines of the summits, Abe is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and others, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a regular news conference.
"Our country plans to lead discussions to serve as a driving force in promoting free trade and the economy in the Asia-Pacific region," the top government spokesman said.