Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has said that improvements in ties with Japan have recently shown signs of gaining momentum ahead of a significant anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two countries.
During a Monday meeting with a business delegation from Tokyo led by a former lawmaker, Li said China would "cherish the momentum and bring (China-Japan relations) back to a right track," noting that 2018 marks the treaty's 40th year.
The delegation from Tokyo is headed by Yohei Kono, who served as Lower House speaker from 2003 to 2009 and in many other key posts, including chief Cabinet secretary and foreign minister, during his long career as a member of the Liberal Democratic Party.