Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Jiang Zemin have agreed the two countries should settle a trade war over farm products by Nov. 8.
The agreement was reached at a meeting Sunday in Shanghai after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit.
Japan is to decide by Nov. 8 whether to upgrade its 200-day preliminary "safeguard" curbs on imports of three agricultural products, which are mostly from China.
In April, Japan imposed 200-day safeguard restrictions on stone leeks, shiitake mushrooms and rushes. In June, China retaliated with 100 percent punitive tariffs on Japanese vehicles, air conditioners and mobile phones.