Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday called on Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba for a coordinated response to US President Donald Trump's tariff measures.
According to Japan's Kyodo news agency, the call was contained in a letter sent via the Chinese embassy in Japan.
The letter stressed the need to fight protectionism together, Kyodo said, citing multiple Japanese government officials.
However, the foreign ministries of both countries are yet to comment on the development.
On Monday, against striking a broader economic deal with the United States at its expense, ratcheting up its rhetoric in a spiralling trade war between the world's two biggest economies.
DAILY POST reports that Japan, one of Washington's closest allies, was among dozens of countries targeted by Trump's sweeping tariffs earlier this month and has begun negotiations with the United States to try and resolve the issue.
Relations between Beijing and Tokyo have been reportedly strained in recent years by a range of issues from territorial disputes to trade tensions.
