Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan has raised eyebrows in Beijing as India has been trying to assert its role in the South China Sea.

China's foreign ministry on Thursday warned India and Japan to respect China's "legitimate concerns" regarding the South China Sea dispute. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said that China is happy to see India and Japan develop normal bilateral relations and hopes that as the two powerful Asian nations build strong bilateral partnership, they also respect the legitimate concerns of other countries.

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"We have noted Prime Minister Modi's visit to Japan today. You asked about issues that Prime Minister Modi is likely to discuss with his Japanese counterpart, as we said before, we are happy to see neighboring countries develop normal bilateral relations," Lu said on Friday. "We hope that while doing this, they can also respect the legitimate concerns of other countries especially those in the region and do more things conducive to regional peace and stability."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo on for an annual India-Japan bilateral summit.

"Looking forward to fruitful deliberations that will boost economic and cultural ties between India and Japan,"  Modi tweeted.

Modi will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit. Two leaders are expected to sign nearly a dozen agreements including a civil nuclear deal on Friday.

In July, an international tribunal ruled for the Philippines in a long-standing territorial dispute with China over the South China Sea. China has since rejected the ruling, but Japan and India have urged Beijing to respect the verdict.

TagsIndia, china, Japan, South China Sea Dispute, Narendra Modi