The slowing growth, as evidenced by the new gross domestic product target — the lowest in 11 years — has been termed as a "new normal" by the Chinese leadership, which is saying the time is ripe for the world's second-largest economy to transition from the quantity to the quality of development.
A disagreement between China and Japan about whether Japan has properly atoned for World War II-era atrocities has long poisoned ties.
A row over a chain of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea that both countries claim, has also long fueled friction.