China, Japan Agree to Expand Dialogue

by VOA News November 07, 2014

China and Japan have agreed to ramp up dialogue, a move that could represent a breakthrough in long-frosty ties between the world's second- and third-largest economies.

Beijing's Foreign Ministry said Friday the two sides agreed to 'gradually resume political, diplomatic and security dialogue' and 'make efforts to build political mutual trust.' China did not say when or at what level the dialogue would occur.

The deal was reached during a meeting in Beijing between Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Japanese National Security Adviser Shotaro Yachi.

The two sides also acknowledged having 'different opinions' on a territorial dispute in the East China Sea, and agreed to 'establish crisis management mechanisms' to help lower tensions.

The statement did not say whether Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet, as many have speculated, during next week's Asia-Pacific Cooperation summit in Beijing.

But Tomohiko Taniguchi, an adviser to Prime Minister Abe, tells VOA that such a meeting is 'almost certain' to occur following the Friday agreement, which he said could signal warmer ties.

'I think that's as much as one can make of it and it has gotten likelier still that on the sideline of the APEC meetings next week, a Xi-Abe handshaking opportunity — exchanging smile opportunity, mainly an extended photo-op — should take place,' said Taniguchi, a special adviser to the Cabinet of the prime minister.

'Whether this could lead to more substantial dialogue between the two governments and between the two heads of state, this is still an open-ended question,' he added. 'But as far as the meeting, no matter what sort of meeting that would be, between Xi and Abe is concerned, I think it's almost certain that it will take place.'

China and Japan have had only low-level diplomatic interaction in recent months, though there have been signs that both sides are open to gradually improving relations.

Japan has for months been pushing for a face-to-face meeting between Prime Minister Abe and President Xi. Such a meeting has not taken place since the two leaders took office.

One of the longstanding obstacles to bilateral ties was Japan's refusal to even acknowledge there is an East China Sea dispute over islands known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu.

It was not immediately clear whether Japan made a concession on the issue in order to secure Friday's agreement. Taniguchi says judging by the wording of the agreement as reported by Chinese state media, it is unlikely that Japan made any such compromise.