PRESIDENT Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday held a meeting at the request of the Japanese side ahead of the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

    China hopes that Japan continues to follow the path of peaceful development and adopt prudent military and security policies, Xi told Abe.

    He urged Japan to “do more things that help enhance the mutual trust between Japan and its neighboring countries, and play a constructive role in safeguarding the region’s peace and stability.”

    The meeting came after a four-point agreement reached last week by China and Japan, which agreed to resume political, diplomatic and security dialogue while acknowledging different positions on the Diaoyu Islands.

    Xi told Abe that “historical issues concern the feelings of more than 1.3 billion Chinese people.”

    “This is a first step toward improving bilateral relations,” Abe told reporters after the meeting.

    The Sino-Japanese political relations have been strained since the Japanese Government’s “purchase” of the Diaoyu Islands in 2012. Abe’s visit last year to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors WWII war criminals, also had a serious impact on the bilateral ties.(Xinhua)