Sunday's meeting between Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese President Hu Jintao -- the first in more than a year -- proved once again that history remains the biggest thorn in the side of Japan-China relations. Unless historical disputes are resolved from a broad perspective, mistrust between Tokyo and Beijing will likely continue, with negative implications for stability in Asia and the rest of the world.
The two nations supposedly put their unfortunate past behind them more than three decades ago, in 1972, when they normalized relations. Yet their political ties remain fragile in striking contrast to their robust economic relations. Indicative of the low-key political dialogue is the fact that there have been no summit-level exchanges over the past three years.
The primary historical dispute centers on Mr. Koizumi's annual visits to Yasukuni Shrine, the Tokyo memorial to Japan's war dead that is regarded by many as a residual symbol of Japanese militarism before and during World War II. It was, inevitably, the main topic at Sunday's meeting held in Santiago, Chile, following the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. However, the one-hour session, the first since October 2003, produced no progress on the issue.