Visiting Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan, accompanied by Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi (center), introduces his delegation to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their meeting in Tokyo on August 30.

Cao, who was on a five-day visit to Japan, reached consensus with Abe on the need to strengthen bilateral defense exchanges.

In an earlier meeting, Cao and his Japanese counterpart Mashakiho Komura agreed to launch a study group on setting up a military hotline, and discussed arrangements for a Chinese naval fleet's visit to Japan later this year and Komura's China tour in 2008.

Cao also met with Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, who reiterated that Japan will stick to the Japan-China joint statement and will not support any kind of "Taiwan independence."

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between China and Japan. Cao's visit to Japan is the first for a Chinese defense minister since 1998.