Japanese leaders' pilgrimages to Yasukuni have become a focus of the race to succeed Koizumi, who is expected to step down when his term as Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president ends in September.

Frontrunner candidate Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe has defended Koizumi's visits, but declined to say whether he would continue the practice if he takes the top job.

Number two rival Yasuo Fukuda, a veteran LDP lawmaker and former chief cabinet secretary, supports a proposal to build a new secular memorial where Japan can honour its war dead without angering China and South Korea, where bitter memories of Japan's past military aggression run deep.

In a sign of a potential thaw in relations, Japan earlier this month gave the go-ahead to grant 74 billion yen ($649.8 million) in low-interest loans to China after delaying the decision for more than two months due to the strained ties.

China's Xinhua news agency said Hu had accepted Miyamoto's credentials on Saturday, but made no mention of any remarks.