China’s defence minister has told his Japanese counterpart that Beijing is determined to protect the nation’s sovereignty and interests in contested waters. During virtual talks on Monday, Chinese defence chief General Wei Fenghe and Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi also agreed to launch a military hotline next year to ease tensions in the East China Sea . The two nations have a long-standing territorial dispute over a group of Japanese-controlled uninhabited islets in the waterway, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Senkakus in Japan. Tensions have been rising in the East China Sea over sovereignty and the size of exclusive economic zones, which determine the right to natural resources there. Last week, Japan’s cabinet approved a record defence budget of 5.4 trillion yen (US$47.2 billion) for the 2022 financial year, saying it was motivated by China’s military expansion. “On the issues of the East China Sea and Diaoyu Islands, China will stand firm in protecting its territorial sovereignty and interests at sea,” Wei was quoted as saying in a Chinese defence ministry statement. He also said both countries should manage the risks together and prevent conflicts from escalating. Speaking after the two-hour videoconference, Japanese defence chief Kishi said Beijing was attempting to change the status quo in the East China Sea unilaterally and urged China to exercise restraint. Kishi said peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait were vital to the security of Japan. He also said there were “extremely serious concerns” about the activities of Chinese coastguard ships near the Senkakus and that Japan would continue to monitor the situation. “Since issues still exist with China, we need to try and maintain candid conversations in order to encourage exchange and mutual understanding and confidence,” he said. The defence chiefs, who last held talks a year ago, were meeting at a tense time in relations between the two nations . Japan’s growing support for Taiwan – the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as part of its territory – has angered China in recent months. Beijing summoned Tokyo’s ambassador after former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s remarks this month that neither Japan nor the US could stand by if mainland China attacked Taiwan. Chinese assistant foreign minister Hua Chunying told the Japanese envoy, Hideo Tarumi, that Abe’s remarks “openly challenged China’s sovereignty and gave brazen support to Taiwan independence forces”. In addition, Japan will not send a government delegation to the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics , a decision seen as in line with a US-led diplomatic boycott of the Games over China’s human rights record. But Japanese athletes will attend the February Games, and Tokyo will send Seiko Hashimoto, a House of Councillors lawmaker and president of the organising committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics held this summer, and two other officials. Additional reporting by Kyodo