BEIJING, Aug. 25 -- Maritime issues were not discussed during the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting between China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, held in Tokyo on Wednesday, said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Thursday.

"The three parties have not discussed the maritime issue during the trilateral foreign ministers' meeting," said spokesperson Lu Kang, responding to a question at a press conference.

Lu, however, confirmed that the Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers did have an in-depth exchange of views on the East China Sea issue during a separate bilateral meeting.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made clear China's stance and said that both sides should properly manage their differences and stick to the four-point principle agreement that the two countries reached in November 2014, said Lu.

Wang called on both sides to give full attention to existing mechanisms of dialogue and consultation, Lu said, adding that the discussion was constructive and meaningful.

Lu also said that the South China Sea issue was not the topic of the bilateral meeting between Wang and his Japanese counterpart and had not been discussed.