President Xi Jinping's speech on people-to-people exchanges between China and Japan marks the latest effort by China to get Sino-Japanese ties back on the right track.
At a huge hall full of music, applause and an unusually large Japanese delegation, President Xi Jinping has struck a friendly tone on China-Japan ties, while also warning against any attempt to distort Japan's wartime history.
Japanese media said President Xi Jinping's speech delivered at a gathering of 3,000 Japanese visitors is a sign of China's willingness to improve bilateral ties.
China and Japan are seeking mutual tourism investment opportunities as both countries have experienced increased tourist flows in recent years.
China and other members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have wrapped up negotiations over the text of the organization's charter.
A 3,000-member Japanese delegation arrived in Beijing Friday; an event observers hope will improve mutual understanding and trust.
A Japanese delegation with more than 3,000 members is visiting China, a development viewed by observers as the latest sign of progress in ties.
The latest remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe refusing to recognize the rule of the Potsdam Proclamation will do no good to his country's international image.
Japan should again apologize to other Asian countries for its wartime behavior, according to the country's former prime minister Tomiichi Murayama.
In an exclusive interview with China Daily, former Japanese prime minister Tomiichi Murayama asked his compatriots to review Japan's wartime past and defend the pacifist Constitution.
Only 42% of historical sites related to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression are basically well-preserved, a review shows.
Intensifying economic cooperation with China is the best way for Japan to recover its stalled economy, said Kiyoyuki Seguchi.