President John Agyekum Kufuor is to pay state visits to Japan and China at the invitation of the governments of the two countries, an official statement said on yesterday in Accra.

The statement signed by Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, said while in Japan, the Emperor and Empress would grant President Kufuor audience.

The President would also call on Prime Minister Mr Junichiro Koizumi to brief him on Ghana's development efforts, underscoring areas where continuing Japanese assistance is indispensable, particularly the construction of the Yamoransa-Kasoa road.

According to the statement, the two leaders would discuss the relationship between the Tokyo International Conference for Africa's Development (TICAD) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and how Japan would continue to increase her support for the development of Ghana and Africa as a whole within the framework of development plans.

The visit would also afford President Kufuor the opportunity to hold discussions with the Japanese business community with the view to promoting partnerships and joint ventures.

While in China, the President would be received by Chinese President Jiang Zemin and discuss issues of mutual interest, particularly, Chinese support for the economic development of Ghana.

The discussions would address how the two countries would work together to strengthen the ties of cooperation and increase the volume of trade to improve the huge trade imbalances in favour of China. President Kufuor would urge China to provide expertise in the area of information technology, assembling of electrical gadgets and mechanised Agriculture.

He would also encourage Chinese entrepreneurs to co-operate with Ghana for investment in gold mining, manufacturing, agriculture, cocoa and wood processing as well as construction of railway lines. The President would also invite China to participate in public joint venture operations in cargo handling and management of a container-terminal in the ports of Tema and Takoradi as a well as the Kotoka International Airport.