Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Wednesday told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi he hopes Beijing will play a "responsible role" in ensuring peace and security as Russia's war in Ukraine continues.
China, which has close ties with Russia, has refrained from condemning Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine that started more than two months ago. Western nations have been ramping up pressure and sanctions on Russia to end the atrocities.
During the 70-minute virtual talks — the first dialogue since November — Hayashi also stressed the need for the international community to work jointly to achieve North Korea's denuclearization, and agreed with Wang to closely coordinate on the issue, according to the Foreign Ministry in Japan.