Update | China, Japan agree to resume high-level talks in bid to ease maritime tensions
Consensus reached by officials paves way for easing of strained ties and raises hopes of dialogue between leaders on forum sidelines
China and Japan have announced a broad bilateral consensus, paving the way for a détente between the two neighbours. Although differences remain, both sides have agreed to disagree and resume dialogue.
In an apparent effort to finalise a possible face-to-face meeting between President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Beijing on the sidelines of the Apec leaders summit, which takes place on Monday and Tuesday, top officials from both sides laid out a four-point consensus after meeting in the capital yesterday.
Both sides now agree that "different views" exist on the territorial dispute over an island chain in the East China Sea, the two countries' foreign ministries said, hours after State Councillor Yang Jiechi met Japanese National Security Adviser Shotaro Yachi in Beijing.
They also agreed to gradually resume political, diplomatic and security dialogue and to prevent escalation of tensions by using consultations and a crisis-management mechanism. The two countries will also uphold the principles of the so-called four political documents - all signed before Sino-Japanese relations hit a nadir under the reign of Abe.
The two countries would "face history squarely, and look forward to the future" to overcome obstacles that had been straining ties, the two foreign ministries said in similarly worded statements.
Preparations were under way to arrange a meeting between the countries' foreign ministers - China's Wang Yi and Japan's Fumio Kishida - this weekend on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings in Beijing, Ken Okaniwa, a deputy press secretary with Japan's foreign ministry, said. The meeting between Xi and Abe was "not yet decided", but both sides were trying to arrange it, he added.
Japan's NHK and Kyodo both reported that the two leaders were likely to meet next week.
But Abe, appearing on a news programme, was cautious, saying only that the two nations had set up "an environment conducive to opening the door" for dialogue, and that he would raise the idea of a maritime communication mechanism for disputed waters "if the summit were to take place".
Beijing officials also struck a cautious tone, with foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang calling on Japan to take "concrete actions" to improve ties.
China said on Saturday it hopes Japan can create a favourable atmosphere for any meeting between the two countries’ leaders.
Asked about a meeting between Xi and Abe at an Apec briefing, Wang said that "China attaches importance to Japan’s repeated requests".
"We hope that the Japanese side takes this seriously, implement it faithfully and honour its commitment so as to create a necessary and favourable atmosphere for a meeting between the two leaders," he added.
The two leaders have not met since they took power in 2012, while ties have deteriorated over maritime disputes and historical issues.
Beijing has insisted two preconditions must be met in order for a meeting to take place: that Abe refrain from visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine - a memorial to Japan's war dead including war criminals - as prime minister and Japan recognise8 that sovereignty of the Diaoyu Islands - known as the Senkakus in Japan - is disputed.
Many diplomats and scholars have said it would be impossible for Japan to recognise the islands' sovereignty was disputed, but Tokyo could acknowledge that Beijing had a different understanding of the sovereignty issue.
Yang and Yachi's agreement to recognise "different views" on the Diaoyu Islands suggested that the two countries might have narrowed their differences and were moving one step closer to talks between Xi and Abe.
In their meeting, Yang, China's highest-ranking official in charge of foreign affairs, said the two countries would seek to "properly settle differences and sensitive issues" while building trust and consensus through negotiations.
Additional reporting by Agence France Presse, Associated Press
