Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi's two-day visit to Japan from Tuesday showcases China's sincerity toward stabilizing and maintaining Sino-Japanese relations, and indicates a détente of the diplomatic ties, said experts.
Yang will co-host the second China-Japan high-level political dialogue with Secretary General Shotaro Yachi of Japan's National Security Secretariat during his visit, Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said at a regular press briefing on Monday.
"It is an institutional arrangement between China and Japan, as well as an important measure to boost high-level strategic communication, build consensus and manage differences," Hua said.
Yang's visit to Japan is the result of a four-point agreement signed by the two countries before Chinese President Xi Jinping met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in November 2014, Lü Yaodong, director of the Institute of Japanese Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
The consensus includes a shared commitment to continuing the mutually beneficial relations, addressing disagreement via dialogue, and developing a bilateral approach to build trust.
Liu Jiangyong, a professor with the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University, in Beijing, told the Global Times that friendly relations between China and Japan is of great significance to the two nations who account for the lion's share of Northeast Asia's economic growth.
Japan's Kyodo News Agency cited Japanese government insiders as saying that Japan also hoped to mend China-Japan diplomatic ties via high-level political dialogues.
Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Japan's New Komeito Party, is scheduled to visit Beijing on Tuesday, expressing his wish to improve Sino-Japanese relations, media reported.
However, Lü stressed that maintaining a stable Sino-Japanese relations does not mean indifference to actions sabotaging the ties or twisting historical views.
Hua stressed on Tuesday that the Japanese side cannot remove the stain it left on history. "We solemnly urge the Japanese side ... with a sense of responsibility toward history and the future, to face up to and deeply reflect upon the history of aggression, correct mistakes and take concrete actions to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the world," she said.
