President Xi meets Japanese PM

President Xi Jinping, at the request by the Japanese side, met with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday in Beijing.

It is the first scheduled talk between leaders of the two countries since bilateral relationship plunged to a record low during the past few years because of flared territorial and historical issues.

Abe arrived in Beijing on Sunday to attend the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, which is slated from Monday to Tuesday.

After years of standoffs that soured ties between the two largest economies of Asia, China and Japan conducted rounds of consultations through diplomatic channels to overcome political obstacles.

On Friday, they reached a major breakthrough by agreeing on a four-point Principled Agreement on Handling and Improving Bilateral Relations.

The two countries "have acknowledged that different positions exist between them" regarding the Diaoyu Islands and the East China Sea, and they agreed to set up crisis-management mechanisms for the Sea, where tensions have been rising.

They agreed to gradually resume political, diplomatic and security dialogues through various channels.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday. Wang said the key is that the Japanese side should treat the agreement seriously and earnestly follow it and implement it.

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