Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and her Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing, agreed Tuesday that Li will visit Japan in August.
But the two made little progress on organizing a trip to China by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Japanese officials said.
Kawaguchi and Li, who took his post in March, met in Phnom Penh on the sidelines of a series of meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The bilateral meeting follows a summit May 31 between Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao during which they agreed to establish future-oriented bilateral ties.