ANKARA 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese Premier Li Qiang held their first meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN leaders’ summit in Laos on Thursday, aiming to stabilize bilateral relations amid continuing regional tensions.

The two sides agreed to promote a "mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests," Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Li said China and Japan should work together to maintain a “sound and steady” development of bilateral relations, which are of great significance to both countries, the region, and the world as a whole.

Presently, Li said, bilateral relations between Tokyo and Beijing are at a “critical stage of improvement and development,” according to Beijing-based Xinhua News.

He hoped that “the two sides will meet each other halfway, continuously consolidate political mutual trust and strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and strive to build a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, so as to better benefit the two peoples.”

Ishiba, who took office as Japan’s prime minister last week, said he will build "constructive and stable" ties with China while saying what needs to be said, calling on Beijing to act responsibly.

The two countries have been at odds over several issues, including Chinese vessels' repeated intrusions into Japanese waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which Tokyo controls but Beijing claims.​​​​​​​