“The international security situation has undergone vast changes and we are seeing the return of unilateralism, protectionism, and a Cold War mentality,” the vice minister said at the start of the meeting.
He also warned against Japan’s “negative moves” with regard to Taiwan, “in collusion with powers outside the region”.
For his part, Japanese deputy foreign minister Shigeo Yamada highlighted concerns over the two neighbours’ territorial dispute over uninhabited islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.
He also raised issues with Beijing’s recent joint military drills with Russia and the suspected Chinese surveillance balloons spotted over Japan’s skies at least three times since 2019.
“While relations between Japan and China have a lot of possibilities, we are also facing many issues and concerns,” Yamada told Sun.
China has denied the Japanese claims regarding spy balloons, calling them “groundless”.
The Japanese allegations follow similar claims by the US, which shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon last month.
Japan said last week that it planned to clarify military engagement rules to allow its jet fighters to shoot down unmanned aircraft that violate its airspace.
The last security dialogue between China and Japan took place in Beijing in February 2019.