New Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke by phone with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday for the first time since taking office and said they agreed to seek "constructive and stable" relations.
The call between the leaders came amid rising tensions between the United States, Japan's security ally, and China over the Taiwan Strait.
Kishida, who took office this week and is making the rounds speaking with foreign leaders, told reporters he raised issues of concern, including the Senkaku Islands, Beijing's crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and the treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang during the 30-minute conversation.