Relations depend on Japanese moves

A series of diplomatic moves, including the newly reached consensus between the two countries and pushing to meet President Xi Jinping, have shown that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pulled back a little from his previous stance. His Cabinet is under pressure from Japan's recession, the discontent of the United States, as well as worsening relations with almost all the country's main neighbors in East Asia. There was hardly any choice left for Abe except to improve ties with China.

Yang Bojiang, a researcher at the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, wenweipo.com, Nov 10

While the short meeting between the Chinese and Japanese leaders makes it possible for mutual relations to rebound from their lowest point, its long-term influence remains to be seen. Whether China and Japan can resume friendly relations will primarily depend on Japan's future moves, especially on the long-standing problem of Japanese politicians' attitude toward history.