The White House says President Barack Obama has spoken with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about North Korea's nuclear program and a territorial dispute with China.

The two leaders agreed in a phone call Wednesday to collaborate to end Pyongyang's  nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The White House says they also discussed the need for stability and dialogue about the East China Sea.

Japan and China are engaged in a long-running dispute over islands both claim in the East China Sea. The issue came up this month when Obama met in California with Chinese President Xi Jinping.