Japan PM tells Xi Jinping of 'serious concerns' in first talks in a year

Chinese state media reported that Mr. Jinping told Mr. Kishida in the meeting in San Francisco that Japan and China must “follow the trend of the times, focus on common interests (and) properly handle differences”.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday that he told President Xi Jinping he has "serious concerns" about Chinese military activity during their first direct talks in a year and slammed Beijing's ban on its seafood.

Mr. Kishida said he "expressed our serious concerns over China's increasing military activity near Japan, including its collaboration with Russia" during their meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

"At the same time, I re-emphasised the extreme importance of the Taiwan Strait's peace and stability to the international community including Japan," Mr. Kishida told Japanese television channels after the talks in the U.S.

"On the East China Sea, I expressed once again our serious concerns and urged the immediate removal of (Chinese) buoys set up in Japan's EEZ," Mr. Kishida said, referring to the country's exclusive economic zone.

Chinese state media reported that Mr. Jinping told Mr. Kishida in the meeting in San Francisco that Japan and China must "follow the trend of the times, focus on common interests (and) properly handle differences".

The Chinese leader said the two nations must "commit themselves to building a Sino-Japanese relationship that meets the requirements of the new era".

Military tensions have soared in the Pacific over China's actions in the disputed South China Sea and its drills around the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing regards as its own territory.