TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Thailand on Thursday, in what would be the first summit between the leaders of the two countries in roughly three years, the government said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a news conference in Tokyo that during the talks, Japan will "assert what needs to be asserted" to China, but stressed both nations need to work to build a "constructive and stable" relationship.
The meeting is expected to take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit to be held in Bangkok for two days from Friday.
The top government spokesman said Japan and China face "many issues and concerns."
Bilateral ties remain precarious as Tokyo and Beijing have been at odds over the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Beijing has also raised regional tensions by threatening Taiwan militarily.
During the planned summit, Kishida is likely to convey Japan's concern about Chinese maritime activity around the Senkakus, sources close to the matter said earlier.
The prime minister would also seek to call on Xi to resolve issues surrounding Taiwan in a peaceful manner through dialogue, amid growing fears that Communist-led China could take military action in an attempt to reunify the self-ruled and democratically governed island, the sources said.
