13:23 (JST) Kishida urged Xi to resume Japanese seafood imports
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio told reporters he urged China to take into account scientific evidence in its response to the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, and immediately lift import restrictions on Japanese seafood.
Kishida spoke to reporters after his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"Japan and China have agreed to adopt a constructive attitude and come up with ways to resolve the issue through dialogue," Kishida said. "Experts will hold discussions based on science."
Kishida stressed that the talks with Xi were "meaningful," adding that concrete efforts won't happen without first having communication.
12:44 (JST) Kishida holds talks with Biden
Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and US President Joe Biden agreed to work together in dealing with China based on the outcome of the US-China summit meeting held on Wednesday.
The two leaders recognized the importance of cooperating on common issues relating to China in their 15-minute talk.
At the beginning of the summit, Kishida told Biden that Japan and the US need to work together more than ever on issues in the Middle East and Ukraine as well as the Indo-Pacific region, including China and North Korea.
Biden said that the importance of the Japan-US alliance is increasing more than ever, and he wants to further strengthen cooperation.
Regarding the situation in the Middle East, the two leaders condemned terrorist acts by the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas. They confirmed that they will continue to cooperate on improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. They also confirmed they would work together to realize a two-state solution in which an independent state of Palestine is established and coexists with Israel.
Furthermore, the two leaders agreed to continue strict sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion.
During the talks, Kishida was invited by Biden to make an official visit to the US as a state guest early next year.
11:53 (JST) Kishida, Xi reaffirm importance of strategic relationship
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Chinese President Xi Jinping are believed to have reaffirmed the importance of a mutually beneficial strategic relationship.
Kishida is also believed to have reiterated Japan's stance on issues between the two countries, including the immediate removal of a ban on imports of Japanese seafood.
At the beginning of the meeting, Xi said that amid a rapidly changing global situation, peaceful coexistence, friendship across generations, cooperation and mutually beneficial joint development are the right direction for both countries.
Xi said that Japan and China need to grasp the general trend of history as well as the present moment and appropriately manage differences.
Kishida said that the international community is at a historic turning point where confrontation and cooperation are intertwined in a complex manner. He said that Japan and China, as major powers that lead the region and the international community, have a responsibility to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world. Kishida added that he wants to work together to carve out a brighter future for Japan-China relations for the next generation.
11:50 (JST) Kishida, Xi wrap up talks
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up their talks after about an hour. It was the first Japan-China summit meeting in a year.
11:43 (JST) IPEF summit reaches agreement on 3 pillars, but not trade
Leaders of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, or IPEF, met in San Francisco.
The framework, which was announced in May 2022, has four major pillars: supply chains, climate, anti-corruption and trade.
In ministerial talks that preceded the meeting, the 14 IPEF member states, including Japan and the United States, reached an agreement on the "clean economy" concept, which is aimed at promoting investment in decarbonization.
They also found consensus on the topic of "fair economy," which includes anti-corruption measures, and they signed an agreement on supply chains.
"We still have more work to do, but we've made substantial progress. In record time, we've reached consensus on three pillars of the IPEF," said US President Joe Biden, who leads the negotiations.
However, the leaders failed to find common ground on any trade provisions. They were unable to resolve their differences over regulating data circulation, an area expected to have positive economic impacts.
11:04 (JST) Xi: Japan-China friendship treaty sets path for peace
At the beginning of the Japan-China summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio that he is glad to be reunited with Kishida.
Xi noted that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-China Treaty of Peace and Friendship. He said the treaty sets a major direction for peace, friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
10:44 (JST) Kishida, Xi summit begins
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Chinese President Xi Jinping have just started their summit. China's suspension of Japanese seafood imports will be a key focus.
It is the first meeting between the two leaders in about a year. Kishida plans to confirm that Japan and China will work together on shared challenges and build a constructive and stable bilateral relationship.
Among the most urgent issues is Beijing's suspension of Japanese seafood imports. China imposed the ban after Japan started releasing treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea in late August. Kishida will urge China to immediately scrap the measure.
He also plans to bring up other matters including China's detention of Japanese nationals for alleged spying activities.