Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held their first summit on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Gyeongju on Friday, during which they discussed ways to stabilize bilateral relations.

During the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes, Xi said Beijing would work with Tokyo to build a “constructive and stable” relationship suited to a new era, pledging to keep communication open to ensure ties stay on the right track.

Takaichi called China an “important neighbor” and said Japan hopes to promote a comprehensive, strategic and mutually beneficial relationship, a framework first agreed upon by former leaders Shinzo Abe and Hu Jintao in 2006.

The Japanese leader also stressed that both countries share responsibility for regional peace and prosperity, adding that she hoped for “concrete progress” on pending bilateral issues.

Although details of the talks were not disclosed, discussions likely covered rare-earth metals, semiconductor equipment exports, China’s ban on Japanese seafood imports and Taiwan.

Japanese media reported that Takaichi may have raised concerns about Chinese coast guard patrols near the Senkaku Islands (called the Diaoyu Islands in China) and the detention of Japanese nationals in China.