Abe joins gala by Chinese embassy

Japanese leader is first in 15 years to personally mark PRC founding, normalization of relations

In a rare move, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe showed up and said "good evening" in Chinese at the Chinese embassy's gala marking the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on Thursday in Tokyo.

Abe told a full house of nearly 2,000 people that he will work hard to make the trilateral summit meeting for leaders of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea possible in Japan this year to improve his country's relations with Beijing.