NANJING, China — How good are China-Japan relations today? So good that the museum here to commemorate the 1937 massacre by Japanese Imperial Army soldiers is closed for renovation. That's remarkable since this is the 70th anniversary of the massacre and criticism of historical revisionism of Japan has been a staple of Chinese diplomacy for the past few years.
But the mood has shifted dramatically since Abe Shinzo became prime minister of Japan last September and put restoration of good relations with China and South Korea at the top of his policy agenda. He has largely succeeded. He visited Beijing and Seoul immediately upon taking office, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao returned the courtesy with a recent visit of his own to Japan.
If Abe's visit was intended to break the ice in the bilateral relationship, Wen's trip was designed to melt the ice. By virtually all accounts it was a success. His outreach to ordinary Japanese demonstrated a real desire to put relations back on course. His speech to a joint session of the Diet hit all the right marks, acknowledging Japanese leaders' acceptance of history and their taking responsibility for the past. He thanked Japan for its assistance in China's development. Most significant, the speech was broadcast in China, making it clear to ordinary Chinese that their leadership wants better relations with Tokyo.