BEIJING, November 10. /TASS/. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first meeting over the past two years on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing.
“I believe Japan and China took the first step toward improving our relationship as we go back to the principle of mutually beneficial strategic partnership,” Abe said at a press conference after the negotiations.
The Japanese premier said the sides have also called for setting up an emergency mechanism to prevent maritime accidents.
The relations between Tokyo and Beijing have been tense due to the territory conflict around the Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands. Japan refuses to negotiate the issue, saying there is no dispute around the islands as they are Japan’s territory.
China would not agree with the position and insists the islands were taken from Beijing by force along with Taiwan and should be returned, as under the terms of capitulation of 1945, Japan gave up the territories it had annexed by force.