Photo by. sputniknews.com SINGAPORE — Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi were at odds Thursday over issues related to the East China Sea despite a recent improvement in bilateral ties.

During his 30-minute talks with Wang in Singapore, Kono also voiced concern over China’s military buildup in the South China Sea, where Beijing and several Southeast Asian countries have overlapping maritime claims, the Japanese government official said.

Kono conveyed to Wang Japan’s unease about China’s moves in the East China Sea, such as the sailing of Chinese naval vessels in the vicinity of the disputed Senkaku Islands and resource development in the contested waters.

Wang responded to Kono by saying, “Naturally, China has its own stance” on the matter, while Kono emphasized that concrete progress in the maritime field is necessary to put Japan-China relations on a “development track,” according to the official.

Japan has repeatedly called on China to stop unilateral resource exploration in the East China Sea, as their negotiations based on a 2008 bilateral accord on joint gas development around the line have been on hold.

In June, Japanese and Chinese defense authorities launched a communication mechanism to avert accidental clashes at sea and in the air. Kyodo News