Relations between China and Japan are at a critical stage, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Japanese counterpart on Friday as the pair discussed thorny issues, including Japanese nationals detained in China, food import bans and semiconductor curbs.
Wang met Japan's Yoko Kamikawa on the sidelines of a gathering of foreign ministers hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Laos, ahead of Saturday's East Asia Summit and the security-focused ASEAN Regional Forum.
Relations between the neighbors have been testy in recent years over issues including territorial claims, trade tensions and Beijing's anger over Tokyo's decision to release treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.