The Japanese and French leaders agreed on Friday to deepen bilateral collaboration in the security and economic fields and work closely on issues related to China, with Beijing's military and economic clout increasing in the Indo-Pacific region.

During their talks in Hiroshima, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed that they will keep imposing severe economic sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine while powerfully supporting Kyiv, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

The bilateral talks took place on the fringes of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, western Japan, which began the same day. How the G-7 should address China will be a key agenda item there.

Japanese Prime Minster Fumio Kishida and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands in Hiroshima on May 19, 2023, before their talks on the sidelines of the three-day Group of Seven summit in the western Japan city. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

The meeting came after Macron stirred controversy for calling on Europe not to be a "follower" of either the United States or China, cautioning against being drawn into a crisis over Taiwan amid the two countries' rivalry, in a media interview last month.

Communist-led China regards the self-ruled democratic island as its own territory to be eventually reunited with the mainland, and has been increasing military pressure on it.

The two leaders also pledged to promote cooperation in cyberspace and outer space, civilian nuclear energy and in supporting startups such as by sending 100 Japanese entrepreneurs to France in the next five years, the ministry said.

Earlier in the day, Kishida met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The two agreed to further expand cooperation in economic security and other fields, building on outcomes of the two nations' first intergovernmental talks involving leaders and key ministers in Tokyo in March, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (far R) holds talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (2nd from L) in Hiroshima on May 19, 2023, on the sidelines of the three-day Group of Seven summit in the western Japan city. (Pool photo) (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

With Kishida and Scholz being this year's and last year's G-7 chairs, the Japanese prime minister said he hopes to work with the German leader to steer the group's discussions toward maintaining and strengthening the international order based on the rule of law.

The two leaders particularly agreed on the importance of aligning with emerging and developing "Global South" states. Many of them have not sided with the United States and its allies over Russia's war in Ukraine.

Kishida also met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and they welcomed "steady progress" of the two nations' action plan toward realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, according to the ministry.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (R) and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau shake hands prior to their talks in Hiroshima on May 19, 2023, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven three-day summit in the western Japan city. (Pool photo)(Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Announced last October, the action plan includes the launch of negotiations on signing a bilateral agreement for sharing security intelligence that should be reached "as soon as possible."

Kishida on Thursday held bilateral talks with U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.