Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Sunday he views relations with Japan as improving, expressing hope to continue moving bilateral ties forward, a Japanese official said.
Li, who approached Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a brief five-minute chat, was quoted as saying, "I hope that we can cooperate and maintain this outcome into the future."
Li cited his meeting with Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul earlier this month, the first trilateral summit held by the neighbors in 3½ years, the official said. Li also had his first one-on-one talks with Abe at that time.
Li told Abe Sunday they were able to have "good discussions" at the Seoul summit and return relations to a normal level, characterizing that as "an extremely big accomplishment," according to Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko.
Abe said he had good discussions with Li in Seoul and believes the "atmosphere of bilateral ties is improving dramatically," Seko said.
The two leaders were in Kuala Lumpur to attend the regional summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their dialogue partners.