Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed to strengthen communication at all levels during their first meeting since the Japanese leader took office in October.

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in their first meeting that China hoped Japan would "properly handle" major issues such as history and Taiwan, according to Chinese state media on Saturday.

Chinese president Xi Jinping told Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba that he hoped Japan would "properly" handle issues such as history and Taiwan after Tokyo expressed concerns about Beijing's “increasingly aggressive military manoeuvres".

LIMA (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Friday he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to foster "mutually beneficial" and "stable" relations in their first in-person talks.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first in-person talks on Friday as part of efforts to manage tensions in Japan-China relations and also expressed his concerns over China's activity near Taiwan as well as the South China Sea, the Japan Times reported.

The bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping follows Ishiba keeping his job as prime minister in a parliamentary vote this week despite having recently led the ruling coalition to its worst general election result in 15 years.

It is hoped Japan will ‘properly handle’ major issues including Taiwan, Xi Jinping tells Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Apec margins.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Japan's new Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, for the first time at the APEC summit in Peru. During the meeting, the Chinese leader addressed the issue of Taiwan, according to Reuters.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for the first time during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru, underlining the need for Japan to "properly handle" issues such as historical disputes and Taiwan,