Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to maintain mutually beneficial relations during their first one-on-one talks in a year, a sign that Asia's two biggest economies are seeking to strengthen their strained ties.
The two leaders discussed China's ban on Japanese seafood imports and the high-profile case of a Japanese businessman detained in China during their hour-long talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco.
The countries should "focus on their common interests" and reaffirm their "mutually beneficial strategic relationship, giving it new meaning," Xi told Kishida as they sat across from each other at a table surrounded by their delegations.
In a 2008 joint statement, Japan and China agreed to maintain a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests" that would ensure frequent exchanges of visits and discussions on issues such as security.
However, that wording has been used less frequently in recent years as the historic rivals have clashed over a range of issues, including territorial disputes, trade tensions and Taiwan, the democratic island that Beijing claims as its own.
Kishida confirmed that the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the relationship in comments to the press after the talks.
"We shared the common vision that we will continue to communicate closely at various levels, including at the leadership level," Kishida said.
Ties have recently been put to the test by China's ban on Japanese seafood imports following Tokyo's decision to dump treated water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea in August.
Kishida said he had urged Xi to drop that ban. /BGNES
