The visit to China will be Sanae Takaichi's first since becoming prime minister in October last year. (EPA Images pic)TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit China next week for the first time since she took office, attending an Asia-Pacific summit in Shenzhen, Tokyo said Friday.

The trip comes at a time of particularly fraught relations between the rival nations after Takaichi suggested in November last year that Tokyo may intervene in any attack on the island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory.

"Prime Minister Takaichi is scheduled to visit the Philippines and China from November 16 to 19 to attend Asean-related summit meetings and the Apec summit," said deputy chief cabinet secretary Masanao Ozaki.