Mr Xi reportedly told her that China was willing to “work with Japan to…advance the strategic, mutually beneficial relationship” (with the usual finger-wagging reference to Japan’s wartime “history of aggression”).

Japan is mounting a broad diplomatic effort to ease tensions with China after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan sparked a sharp backlash from Beijing that raised fears of a breakdown in economic ties.

From China’s point of view, the Japanese Prime Minister’s remarks on Taiwan test a red line - a trigger that sets this dispute apart from past flare-ups, analysts say.

China pledges to safeguard foreigners' safety amid escalating diplomatic tensions with Japan over remarks about Taiwan intervention.

Withdrawal follows PM Takaichi’s Taiwan comments, prompting Beijing to issue warnings and cancel exchange events.

BEIJING: Liu Jinsong, director general of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held consultations with Kanai Masaaki, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, on Tuesday in Beijing, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Tokyo's foreign envoy has reportedly left the Chinese foreign ministry building in Beijing without responding to questions from the media. Masaaki Kanai had met his Chinese counterpart Liu Jinsong to lay out Tokyo's position on Taiwan.

Tokyo aims to calm diplomatic row triggered by remarks on island by Japanese Premier Sanae Takaichi - Anadolu Ajansı

China and Japan have repeatedly faced off around the Japan-administered islands, which Beijing calls Diaoyu and Tokyo calls the Senkaku.