Japan and China held their first security talks in four years on Thursday, with both sides stressing the importance of candid dialogue in a step aimed at thawing ties plagued by the legacy of Japan's wartime aggression and the Senkaku Islands dispute.
Their deputy foreign ministers met Thursday in Tokyo for a day of talks.
"Ties between Japan and China have been making a gradual advance since last year's summit meeting, but there still are concerns over each other's security policy," said Deputy Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama.