Tokyo said it conveyed "strong concerns" to Beijing over China's new controversial legislation, which allows its coast guard to use military force in waters the country claims, during a video meeting on maritime issues Wednesday.
Beijing claims that the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are administered by Tokyo, are part of its territory. The new law could be used to target Japanese vessels navigating around the uninhabited islets that China calls Diaoyu.
China must not use the legislation, which went into force Monday, in a way that goes against international law, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a news conference.