TOKYO, Oct 11, 2010 (AFP) - The defence ministers of Japan and China on Monday agreed to set up a liaison system to prevent conflicts at sea, as the two sides look to repair the damage from a diplomatic row, Jiji Press reported.
Japanese Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa and his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie met on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi.

Kitazawa told Liang it would be "unproductive" to discuss in Hanoi the disputed islands in the East China Sea at the centre of the row, Jiji said.
Kitazawa also agreed with Liang that both countries will enhance their "mutually beneficial strategic partnership", the report said.