Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have held a landmark first meeting, in the most positive sign for the strained China-Japanese relationship since both leaders came to power in 2012.
China and Japan have been locked in a bitter dispute over the contested Senkaku Islands – which China calls the Diaoyu – and Mr Abe’s decision to visit the controversial Yasukuni shrine last year. The spat has sent relations between the powers to their worst state since they normalised diplomatic ties in 1972.
Signs have emerged in recent days that Japan and China are trying to mend some of the damage done to the relationship. On Friday they agreed to resume security and foreign policy talks that had essentially been on ice for two years. It was seen as a signal that Mr Xi would agree to meet Mr Abe, who has been calling for a summit, during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing this week.