Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday he agreed with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the two countries to speed up talks toward an early implementation of a maritime and aerial communication mechanism, a sort of hotline between defense officials, to prevent unintended clashes in the East China Sea.
The two top leaders, in their first talks in nearly a year and a half, agreed that stable development of bilateral ties is essential for regional peace and prosperity.
Abe told Xi that Japan wants to work with China to contribute to global economic growth and forge "friendly" ties by "managing difficult issues" and "promoting win-win cooperation."