By Shannon Tiezzi
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met for the first time on Monday.
After months of behind-the-scenes diplomacy and breathless media speculation, it finally happened: Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japan Prime Minister Abe Shinzo met for a handshake and brief talks on the sidelines of the APEC summit. The meeting, held on Monday morning, was short and (by all appearances) uncomfortable – and it was infinitely better than the alternative of no talks at all.
The meeting was made possible by months of quiet diplomacy that led to the issuing of a carefully crafted statement. That “four-point consensus” was released on Friday after talks between Chinese State councilor Yang Jiechi and Japanese National Security Secretariat chief Shotaro Yachi, who is a leading foreign policy advisor for Shinzo Abe. The document allowed China to claim it had made progress on issues of great concern, especially the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, while Tokyo can rightfully claim it has not altered any of the Japanese government’s long-standing positions.
Xi and Abe both endorsed the four-point consensus in their talks, as well as emphasizing the need for China and Japan to have a smooth bilateral relationship, given their proximity and economic importance to the Asia-Pacific region. However, according to Xinhua, Xi also took the opportunity to warn against historical revisionism and militarism. Abe reportedly pledged that his government would maintain the positions adopted by previous Japanese administrations with regard to historical issues.
Read the full story at The Diplomat