China’s Xi, Japan’s Abe in first meet at G-20

Leaders of China and Japan, arch rivals squabbling over disputed islands in the East China Sea, came face-to-face for the first time when they met briefly at the G-20 summit in Russia, which official media here today termed as a ‘good start’ towards mending strained ties.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ‘encountered’ Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the VIP room for participating leaders and the two sides had a brief talk, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. 

‘A polite encounter may be a good start, and it shows Beijing’s willingness to bring its relations with Japan back on the right track, but whether that can happen still rests with Tokyo,’ a Xinhua commentary said. 

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said that ‘Prime Minister Abe explained [to Xi] about our thoughts that we should develop Japan-China relations by going back to the beneficial relationship.’