BANGKOK (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday he conveyed concerns during a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about peace in the Taiwan Strait.
The two leaders met in Thailand on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which marks the first leadership-level talks between the two countries in almost three years.
Kishida said he reaffirmed with Xi that they would reopen dialogue between their diplomatic officials and communicate closely on all levels, including at the leadership level.
“I conveyed my grave concerns about the situation in the East China Sea, including the Senkaku Islands, as well as China’s military presence such as their launching of missiles,” he told reporters.
The disputed islands are known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
“I also reiterated the importance of peace and security in the Taiwan strait,” Kishida added.
He added that the two sides agreed that Russia must not use the nuclear option in Ukraine, but he declined to say what Xi said on the issue.
Both countries will prepare for a visit to China by Japan’s foreign minister, he said.
(Reporting by Reuters staff and Sakura Murakami in Tokyo; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Martin Petty)
