In the first in-person talks between the leaders of Japan and China in roughly three years, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Xi Jinping signaled their willingness to mend what have become increasingly acrimonious ties.
But while Thursday’s meeting in Bangkok marked a step in the right direction, little progress was made in easing the fundamental frictions in the relationship.
In their 45-minute talks held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the two agreed to resume high-level dialogue and increase exchanges while accelerating efforts to build a "constructive and stable” relationship.