'Test and opportunity' seen ahead for Japan

Premier Li Keqiang has defined this year as "both a test and an opportunity" for ties between China and Japan, and he urged Tokyo to "face history squarely" amid the 70th anniversary of the victory in the world's war against fascism.

Li said the China-Japan relationship is "in difficulty", as he addressed a news conference at the close of the third session of the 12th National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

Observers said a clear signal was sent to warn Tokyo against any attempt to gloss over wartime atrocities, as the premier emphasized that "the crux of the issue is how that war and that part of history are viewed".