Informal dialogue keeps ties strong, diplomat says

Japanese veteran diplomat Yasushi Akashi called for keeping Sino-Japan dialogue alive during the 10th Beijing-Tokyo Forum, which was held Sunday and Monday.

He attributed the success of the forum to the way discussions were handled. Officials, veteran diplomats, scholars and business and media people from China and Japan had no scruples discussing virtually every issue affecting the neighbors' bilateral ties, he said.

"While the official relationship is in a very difficult situation, the forum, which has been alive for a decade, helps build trust," said Akashi, former United Nations under-secretary-general and chairman of the International House of Japan, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting international understanding.