Japan will take another step to end loans to China as Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura prepares to talk with his Chinese counterpart. According to the Kyodo news agency, Machimura will confer with Beijing to assure "a soft landing for an end to yen loans while considering it in the overall policy toward China." Last December, the Japanese official made known that Tokyo may reconsider its targets on financial support to China in 2005. So far, he remains mum on the specific date for the termination of development loans to Japan?s eastern Asian neighbor. (Source: Japan to talk to China about end of loans ? media/Reuters)