BEIJING (Kyodo) -- Japan and China on Wednesday continued efforts to improve bilateral ties, with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya outlining a plan to ease visa requirements for Chinese tourists and agreeing on an early visit to Japan by top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi.

But Iwaya also conveyed to Wang during their talks in Beijing his serious concerns over intensifying Chinese military activities and demanded the removal of a new buoy Japan confirmed in its exclusive economic zone off a remote southwestern island.

Iwaya is making his first visit to China since becoming foreign minister in October. The trip follows the first summit meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November in Peru, during which they agreed to promote a strategic and mutually beneficial relationship.

During their meeting, Iwaya and Wang affirmed their commitment to "make joint efforts to reduce issues and concerns and increase cooperation and coordination," in line with agreements made between their leaders, according to the Japanese government.

Wang emphasized at the outset of talks that China and Japan are "partners for cooperation" and that he would like to see ties advance "on the right track."

Iwaya and Wang reaffirmed the importance of frequent and candid communication between the two foreign ministers to advance bilateral ties. They also agreed to hold a high-level economic dialogue during Wang's visit to Japan "at the earliest appropriate timing next year," the Japanese government said.

The Japanese government has decided to introduce a new multiple-entry visa valid for 10 years for Chinese nationals visiting individually for tourism. Currently, the maximum validity is five years.

The new measure, aimed at high-income Chinese tourists, was announced during a high-level bilateral meeting to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges, the first such meeting in five years.

"Interactions between citizens, above all, serve as the foundation" for Japan-China ties, Iwaya told the meeting, which he attended with culture minister Toshiko Abe.

The move follows China's resumption in late November of its visa-free arrangement for short-term Japanese visitors that was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Japan will no longer require Chinese nationals aged 65 or older to submit a certificate of employment for solo tourism trips, making it easier for retirees to visit. Additionally, the eligibility criteria for existing short-term multiple-entry visas will be expanded.

The maximum stay for group tourists will be extended to 30 days, up from the current limit of 15 days.

The measures will be implemented after the necessary arrangements are finalized, according to Japanese government officials.

At the meeting with Wang, Iwaya expressed concerns over the situation in the East China Sea, where the Japan-controlled, China-claimed Senkaku Islands are located. Japan has repeatedly lodged protests over the intrusion of Chinese vessels into its territorial waters around the uninhabited islets.

Iwaya also urged the early release of Japanese nationals detained by Chinese authorities on espionage allegations, noting that such detentions and the "lack of transparency" in China's counterespionage law have caused hesitation among Japanese people about visiting China.

He also told Wang that the installation of a buoy, spotted south of Yonaguni Island in Okinawa Prefecture earlier this month, "only negatively impacts" the bilateral relationship.

Iwaya and Wang, meanwhile, reaffirmed an agreement reached in September that China will resume imports of Japanese seafood after imposing a blanket ban following the release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Earlier in the day, Iwaya met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and reaffirmed that they will work toward a "constructive and stable" relationship.

The previous trip to China by a Japanese foreign minister was made by Yoshimasa Hayashi in April 2023.