Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting today ahead of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing, a first between the two leaders.
The meeting, requested by the Japanese side, follows more than two years' tension over territorial and historical issues.
Xi Jinping has told Abe that China hopes Japan continues on a path of peaceful development and adopts prudent military and security policies.
The president also urges Japan to "do more things that help enhance trust between Japan and its neighbors, and play a constructive role in the region's peace and stability."
In response, Abe says Japan is determined to continue its peaceful development. He also hails China's peaceful development as a significant opportunity for Japan and the world.
Yang Bojiang, Director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences spoke to the BJH earlier about this remarkable meeting.
"Today's meeting is kind of confirmation of the so-called four-point consensus which was raised three days ago between China and Japan on very significant issues. So, by today's meeting, actually the Sino-Japanese relations are facing a window of opportunities for further development, and it could hopefully be the beginning of the end of the restraint."
The meeting came after a four-point agreement reached last week by China and Japan, which agreed to resume political, diplomatic and security dialogue while acknowledging different positions on the Diaoyu Islands.
Yang Bojiang also views the recent progress as an important step towards the future of China-Japan relations.
"First, whether we can accept further development of the Sino-Japanese relations depends on many elements, among which Abe's next move is the key point. Second, only give us such a precondition which Japan keeps promise in the consensus, the Sino-Japanese relations will improve further. China will also restore and strengthen cooperation and exchange with (Japanese) enterprises, Japanese society as well as the locals."
Sino-Japanese political relations have strained since the Japanese government's "purchase" of the Diaoyu Islands in September 2012. Last year, Abe's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine worsened those ties.
