TOKYO, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Japanese officials said they were encouraged despite a lack of substance from a meeting between Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
The New York Times said Saturday that officials were pleased because the meeting took place in the wake of perceived rebuffs of Japan's proposal for discussions between the two leaders.
The pair conferred for about 20 minutes Friday on the sidelines of this week's summit of Asian nations in Yokohama. The session was not announced until the last minute, The Times said.
Japan and China have been at odds in recent weeks over a disputed chain of islands in the East China Sea. The disagreement led to the arrest of a Chinese fishing boat skipper and demands from Beijing for an apology.
The United States was drawn into the dispute when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the islands were included in defense treaties between Washington and Japan dating back to the Cold War.
