Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Friday met with his Japanese counterpart Seiji Maehara in Hanoi, with both sides agreeing to maintain regular contacts and make joint efforts for the improvement and development of bilateral ties.

The meeing came after the Japanese authorities detained a Chinese trawler captain in early September off the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, prompting a diplomatic standoff.

During the meeting, Yang reaffirmed China's solemn stance on the issue concerning the Diaoyu Islands.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on the China-Japan relations and relevant issues. The two sides agreed that it is in the fundamental interest of the two countries as well as the two peoples to maintain and promote the bilateral relations.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of a series of summits between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners in the capital of Vietnam.