Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks with China's President Xi Jinping during a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China October 26, 2018. Nicolas Asfouri/Pool via REUTERS

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping will “seriously consider” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s invitation to visit Japan, a Japanese government spokesman told reporters in Beijing.

“We need to nail down a date now,” said Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasutoshi Nishimura, following a summit between Abe and the Chinese president in China on Friday.