ISTANBUL

Senior officials from China and Japan on Tuesday held talks to calm tensions after remarks on Taiwan by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi triggered a backlash.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau chief Masaaki Kanai held talks with his Chinese counterpart Liu in Beijing, according to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Tokyo aims to calm the diplomatic row that has begun to affect tourism, education, and entertainment sectors between the two countries, it added.

Takaichi said earlier this month that any Chinese military action against Taiwan, including a naval blockade, could qualify as a "survival-threatening situation," enabling Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense.

Beijing slammed the statement, urging Tokyo to retract the premier's remarks.

About Tuesday's meeting, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters that the Beijing side "once again lodged serious protest over wrongful remarks" of Takaichi with the visiting Japanese side.

The remarks by the Japanese prime minister "seriously violate international law," said Mao, stressing that Tokyo should "stop making provocations on issues concerning China."

Mao said that Takaichi's remarks "seriously violate" the spirit of the political documents between China and Japan and "cause fundamental damage to the political foundation."

Amid tensions, Japanese business leader Yoshinobu Tsutsui called for “constructive dialogue toward a solution” with Beijing, “as many (Japanese) companies are active in China,” Jiji Press reported.

China has called on its citizens to avoid visiting Japan, while Japan's top government spokesman, Minoru Kihara, on Tuesday stressed that Tokyo was "open to all kinds of dialogue" with Beijing.

Separately, Japan's Embassy in Beijing called on Japanese nationals in China "to work to secure their safety ... in view of the situation, including local media reports about the recent bilateral ties," public broadcaster NHK reported.

Meanwhile, Beijing said Chinese Premier Li Qiang does not plan to meet with Takaichi in South Africa, on the sidelines of the Group of 20 leaders' summit, scheduled for the upcoming weekend.