The relationship between China and Japan has improved but still remains fragile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told a news conference Wednesday at the end of the annual meeting of the country's parliament.
Ties between Asia's two largest economies have been strained by China's view that Japan has failed to properly atone for its wartime past, as well as by a festering territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
"There have been some signs of improvement in Sino-Japanese ties, but it's not fully established yet," Li said. "It is still fragile."
"We believe that it is important to adhere to the consensus reached by the two sides on the issue of principle involving history, and it is important to match one's words with concrete actions," he added.
While ties have been thawing, with meetings between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing remains deeply suspicious of Japan, especially of Abe's moves to allow the military to fight overseas for the first time since the war.
China's foreign minister said earlier this month that there is little reason for optimism that the relationship with "two-faced" Tokyo will improve, though he acknowledged signs of improvement.
Japan has also been keeping an eye on China's activities in the South China Sea, where China has territorial disputes with several southeast Asian countries. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in February that Japan was gathering and analyzing information on China's moves there with "serious interest."
Li, Abe and South Korean Park Geun-hye agreed during their meeting in Seoul in November to revive annual trilateral summit talks after a 3½-year hiatus.
"As to whether the (trilateral) format will enjoy a smooth development in the future, it's much up to interaction among the three countries," Li said.