Better relations worth cherishing

Every time China and Japan have made substantial progress in their relations, the two neighbors have invariably witnessed large-scale people and cultural exchanges, so there is enough reason to think the first meeting of the China-Japan high-level consultation mechanism on people-to-people and cultural exchanges, attended by State Councilor Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, in Tokyo on Monday, will be a marker for a continuing thaw in their ties.

The exchange mechanism is certainly more than just a diplomatic gesture. The congratulatory letters President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent to each other on the occasion highlight that it is a shared commitment of the two leaders, based on the shared belief, as Wang said, that now is the time to "pass on the momentum of the betterment of bilateral ties" to the people of both countries.

In accordance with nine similar "high-level" human-cultural exchange mechanisms China has established with other economies and the European Union, the mechanism will form a comprehensive network of exchange channels covering education, science and technology, culture, tourism and youth.