Japan's PM to open site on Sina Weibo

Japan's Prime Minister and its Cabinet is planning to register on Sina Weibo, a Chinese micro-blogging website, to promote their country in China, according to reports from the Asia News Agency based in Japan.

The Japanese government said it was important to explain Japan's position to the Chinese people amid rising tensions between the two countries.

The Japanese government has started to consult with Sina Weibo, asking the popular Twitter-like micro blog service to help launch its Chinese microblogger, which will provide a channel for statements from Japan's prime minister and news of the Japanese government.

Japan's government has already launched English microblogging sites on social networks such as Facebook. It is reported that more than 30 local governments in Japan have launched promotion campaigns through Weibo to attract Chinese tourists.