Japan PM set for Asia trip amid DPRK worry

Abe, long seen as a hardliner towards Asian neighbors, flies Sunday to Beijing for the first visit by a Japanese premier in five years. It is his first foreign trip since he became prime minister on September 26.

He will hold talks with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao before heading to South Korea on Monday to meet President Roh Moo-hyun.

The region's security is likely be high on the talks' agenda after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a statement Friday which expressed "deep concern" over the North's planned test but made no explicit threat of sanctions.

"Not only Japan but also the international community will take severe action to North Korea" if the secretive communist state goes ahead with the test, Abe told reporters.

"Together with the international community, Japan will send a message to make North Korea understand that things will get worse if it fails to respond to the international community's concerns," he said.

Abe had earlier said that he would try to find common ground with his counterparts from China and South Korea during his two-day trip. The two neighbours have so far preferred to take a softer approach towards the North.

"It's important to share the same understanding of the situation between Japan and China, and also between Japan and South Korea, during the summits," Abe said.