Japan’s top diplomat raises concerns with China’s Wang about stabbings, military activity

The ministry said Iwaya had also conveyed “grave concerns over the increasing activities of the Chinese military” and sought an explanation for a breach of Japanese airspace by a Chinese aircraft in August.

It was the first time a Chinese military aircraft had breached Japan’s airspace, Japan’s defence ministry has said.

The Japanese statement did not say how Wang responded to Iwaya’s request.

In its own readout of the phone conversation, Chinese state media said Wang had told Iwaya that Beijing appreciated Tokyo’s “positive signals” to steadily develop bilateral relations and looked forward to a “new atmosphere in the Japanese cabinet and new developments in China-Japan relations”.

The tone was relatively upbeat after Wang in July had said bilateral relations were at a critical stage amid thorny issues including territorial claims, food import bans and trade tensions, among other issues.

Wang also called for efforts to maintain peace, “especially to prevent external forces from sowing discord and stirring up regional confrontation”, CCTV said, an apparent reference to the United States, which is a key ally of Japan.

“(We) hope Japan will establish an objective, rational and positive and friendly perception of China,” Wang told Iwaya, according to the CCTV report.