TOKYO, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left on Friday afternoon for the Philippines for talks with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Kyodo News reported.

    Abe will hold talks with Arroyo in Manila on Saturday to discuss issues of common concern and have informal discussions with Japanese nationals living in Manila, but will not go as planned to the resort island of Cebu for the East Asia Summit which has been postponed because of a potential large typhoon, Japanese officials said.

    Before leaving Tokyo, Abe expressed his disappointment for not being able to have the scheduled meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun in Cebu, the report said.