BEIJING — State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe on Dec 27 held talks via video link with Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, at the invitation of the latter.

Wei said that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic ties. The two sides should adhere to the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance strategic mutual trust, properly handle conflicts and differences, and achieve win-win cooperation, he said.

Chinese and Japanese defense authorities should strengthen high-level exchanges and practical cooperation, jointly manage risks, prevent the escalation of conflicts, and continuously boost defense cooperation, Wei said.

Kishi said Japan is willing to work with China to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthen strategic communication and crisis management, and make joint efforts to build constructive and stable Japan-China relations.