An encouraging breakthrough in China-Japan rapprochement

The icy relations between China and Japan exhibited unmistakable albeit nascent signs of thawing on Friday, with the announcement of a broad bilateral consensus on achieving a rapprochement.[Special coverage]

In a visibly productive meeting, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Japanese National Security Secretariat chief Shotaro Yachi, a key foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, agreed that the two sides continue to develop their strategic relationship of mutual benefit.

On the political front, they pledged to seek consensuses on overcoming the difficulties under the spirit of facing history squarely and working together for the future.

On the territorial row over the Diaoyu Islands in East China Sea, they recognized that China and Japan hold different positions, and agreed to establish a crisis management and control mechanism so as to preclude further escalations and disastrous eventualities.

They also agreed to gradually resume political, diplomatic and security dialogue via various bilateral channels and make concerted efforts to cement mutual political trust.

The multi-point agreement is an encouraging icebreaker that has been painfully overdue. Two years after Japan's so-called "nationalization" of the Diaoyu Islands sent bilateral ties into a downward slide, it is high time that bilateral interaction was put back on a normal track.

Because of their close economic intertwinement and the weighty roles they play in boosting the development and safeguarding the stability both of the region and of the world, the China-Japan estrangement has put too many nerves on edge for too long.

Given all the stakes that are involved, the breakthrough is of particular significance. It has brought the relationship between the world's second and third largest economies back to temperatures above the freezing point. Should it be properly implemented, it will mark a turning point in the trajectory of China-Japan relations.

Now with the landmark agreement, the international media buzz of speculations about a summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Abe on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation economic leaders' meeting in Beijing early next week has risen to a new crescendo.

Optimism is natural, but should be kept reasonable. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has yet to offer a definite answer on whether or not Xi will converse with Abe and, if yes, what kind of talks they will have.

Besides, it is an agonizing and undeniable reality that whether a China-Japan summit would take place or not, the ice trapping bilateral relations is too thick to melt in a day or two.

Now that the Yang-Yachi agreement has heralded a thawing season for the China-Japan relationship, the top priority now is to earnestly carry out the consensus and roll out concrete tension-easing and trust-building measures.

Realizing a China-Japan detente remains a daunting task, and the onus is primarily on Japan. It was Tokyo's provocative behavior on historical and territorial issues that sent the bilateral relationship to a tailspin.

But the latest progress has demonstrated the will, wisdom and courage of both sides to improve their ties. With the first step already taken, it is highly advisable that they build on the momentum and stride further forward.