China's Xi Jinping, Japan's Shinzo Abe call for better ties

President Xi Jinping called on China and Japan to lower their mutual suspicions in his talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday, as the Asian economic powerhouses seek to repair a relationship damaged by territorial disputes and a bitter wartime legacy.

Xi went as far as saying that the two nations "would not become a threat to each other".

In talks on the sidelines of an Asia-Africa summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Xi told Abe that China's initiative to boost connectivity with nations from Asia to Africa, and the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) - of which Japan is not a member - had received a positive response from many nations, CCTV reported.

Japanese officials said the two leaders talked for about 30 minutes in their first meeting since their talks in Beijing in November. Abe said later that the two leaders agreed to contribute to regional stability and prosperity by promoting "mutually beneficial strategic ties".

He added that Japan was also willing to work with China to ease tensions in the East China Sea, where the two nations have rival territorial claims, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

The talks were held as Sino-Japanese relations again become sensitive ahead of this year's 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war. China plans to hold a full military parade for the commemoration in September, while Abe will issue a statement on the war in August.