The agreement came at a meeting in Singapore between Lt. Gen. Kazuaki Sumida, vice chief of staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff, and Lt. Gen. He Lei, vice president of the Academy of Military Science of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

At the meeting, held on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, Sumida and He discussed responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

They are also likely to have exchanged views on the situations in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.

After the meeting, Sumida told reporters that the two officials spent the largest amount of time in their talks to discuss security around Japan, adding that the talks were sincere and good.

Sumida is believed to have expressed Japan's concern following repeated incursions by Chinese government ships into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. China also claims the Japanese-administered islands, which it calls Diaoyu. (Jiji Press)