Takaichi sparked the most serious diplomatic clash in years when she told Japanese lawmakers this month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.

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A senior Japanese official met his counterpart in Beijing on Tuesday to try and tamp down the tension, but no breakthrough appeared imminent.

China's foreign ministry said it had pressed at the meeting for Takaichi to retract her remarks. But Japan's top government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, suggested Tokyo was in no mood to do so.

The comments did "not alter the government's existing position," Kihara told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the government hoped issues concerning Taiwan would be resolved peacefully through dialogue.