Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said ahead of his trip to a leaders' summit in Jakarta that he aims to improve ties with China, and reiterated that he is ready to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"I'm ready to meet with (Xi) if such occasion arises naturally. I would like to improve ties with China further based on the principle of a mutually beneficial, strategic relationship," Abe told reporters on Tuesday.

Sino-Japanese ties have chilled in recent years due to feuds over Japan's wartime history, bitter memories of which persist in China, as well as territorial rows and mutual mistrust over Abe's bolder security policies and China's military assertiveness.