As the G20 summit fast approaches, China has called on Japan to shed off its antagonistic stance towards Beijing and play a "constructive role" at the September 2 summit in the interests of all parties.

China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, said that Chinese state councilor Yang Jiechi told Shotaro Yachi, the head of Japan's national security council, on Thursday that Japan should play a "constructive role" in the upcoming summit despite the various problems that have been affecting Sino-Japanese ties.

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"The improvement of China-Japan ties has been continuously disturbed by various problems, especially the issues related to East China Sea and South China Sea, which is in the interests of neither side," Xinhua quoted the councilor saying.

Shaky relations

Ties between China and Japan have remained shaky over the years dating back to the World War II. In recent years, both nations have been at loggerheads over the long-simmering territorial dispute in the East China Sea, among other issues.

Beijing has also slammed Tokyo for interfering in the South China Sea dispute saying it is in no position to meddle in the conflict since it has no sovereign interest in the disputed area.

China and several Southeast Asian nations have been embroiled in disputes over the international waterway, escalating tensions among the claimant-countries in the region.

Hangzhou

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to attend the G20 summit along with world leaders including US President Barack Obama in Hangzhou next month.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who also met with Yachi, said Sino-Japanese relations have "improved" despite the recent barbs traded by both countries over the issue of ownership of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands (Diaoyu Islands in Chinese) which are also being claimed by Beijing.

"The China-Japan relationship is still very fragile although there is a momentum of improvement," Li said.

The G20 summit, a meeting of the world's 20 major economies, will be held in the city of Hangzhou in China on September 2. The attending leaders are expected to discuss a host of global and regional issues affecting the organization.

Premier Li said he hoped that Japan would set aside its issues with China for the duration of the summit and contribute to its success.

Letter

He also called on the Japanese leader to initiate moves to ease the tensions between the two countries.

Xinhua said Abe had sent a letter to Li through Yachi assuring Beijing that Tokyo is committed to enhancing cooperation with Beijing and that he expects a successful G20 summit.

Japan recently lodged a diplomatic protest with China after seven Chinese Coast Guard ships and a swarm of 200 fishing vessels entered Japanese waters and surrounded the Tokyo-controlled Senkaku islands last week.