Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday vowed to tackle "outstanding issues" between Japan and China to clear the way for a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for this spring.
Both countries "share a great responsibility to ensure the peace and prosperity of Asia and the world," Motegi said in a speech laying out the government's foreign policy at the start of this year's regular Diet session.
As such, Tokyo and Beijing should hold regular high-level dialogue and step up exchanges and cooperation in various fields, he said.