Japan PM Ishiba expresses concern to Chinese President Xi Jinping over South China Sea situation

China has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan in recent years to pressure Taipei into accepting its claims of sovereignty, which the island’s government rejects.

Beijing has also in recent months pressed its sweeping territorial claims in the East and South China Seas more stridently.

A chain of uninhabited islands claimed by Beijing but administered by Tokyo, known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have long been a point of tension between the neighbours.

Xi said he hoped Japan would work with China to “properly handle major issues of principle such as history and Taiwan” and “manage differences constructively”, according to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

China and Japan, “whose economic interests and industrial and supply chains are deeply intertwined” need to “pursue win-win cooperation and maintain the global free trade system as well as stable and unimpeded production and supply chains”, Xi said.

Tokyo said they had agreed to “work towards realising mutual visits by respective foreign ministers, as well as the high-level dialogue on cultural exchange and economy”.