The leader of Japan’s New Komeito party is scheduled to arrive in China on Tuesday in a bid to mend relations.

Natsuo Yamaguchi is coming to Beijing with a letter from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The New Komeito party is a coalition partner Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Yamaguchi will be the first member of a ruling party to visit China since the general election.

Earlier, former Japanese education minister Kenji Ko-saka and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying met in Beijing and both sides agreed to shift their focus back to development of their strategic relationship of mutual benefit. Kosaka’s talks with Fu could pave the way for a possible visit to China by Masa-hiko Komura, vice president of the Liberal Democratic Party.