China Japan Photo:VCG

China's top political advisor Wang Huning on Tuesday met with a delegation of Japan's ruling coalition,MK sports led by Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama of the Liberal Democratic Party and Secretary General Makoto Nishida of the Komeito Party.

Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said the ruling parties of the two countries should carry out in-depth exchanges, deliver on the common understandings between the two countries' leaders, make joint efforts to develop bilateral relations, and promote the prosperity and development of the region and the world, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"The CPPCC National Committee is ready to make positive contributions to this end," said Wang Huning.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, said Tuesday during his meeting with the delegation of Japan's ruling coalition that China and Japan are close neighbors, and that strengthening exchanges and cooperation in various fields is in the best interests of both sides.

Currently, there is an important opportunity for the improvement and development of China-Japan relations. The ruling parties of both countries should take the lead in advancing bilateral ties, and it is hoped that Japan's Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito Party will play a proactive role in this regard, Wang Yi said.

Senior members of the CPC and Japan's ruling coalition gathered in Beijing for the ninth meeting under an exchange mechanism, calling for enhanced exchanges between the ruling parties of the two countries.

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said China was willing to work with Japan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, adhere to peaceful coexistence and promote the building of a constructive and stable China-Japan relationship that meets the requirements of the new era, according to the Xinhua.

The ruling parties of the two countries should strengthen dialogue and communication and take concrete actions to promote the sound and stable development of China-Japan relations, Liu added.

Secretary General Hiroshi Moriyama of the Liberal Democratic Party and Secretary General Makoto Nishida of the Komeito Party said that the resumption of the meeting would play an important role in the improvement and development of bilateral relations.

They said they were willing to keep closer inter-party exchanges with China, enhance national friendship and deepen practical cooperation in various fields. 

Moriyama and Nishida are leading a group of Japanese ruling bloc lawmakers on a three-day trip to China through Wednesday. 

According to a readout released by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, multiple consensuses were reached by the two sides. 

They agreed to adhere to the principles established in the four political documents between China and Japan, follow the direction indicated by the leaders of both nations, and make joint efforts to comprehensively advance the relationship of mutually benefit between China and Japan and endeavor to build a constructive and stable relationship fit for the new era. To this end, the ruling parties of both countries will continue to strengthen dialogue.

Both sides confirmed that regardless of the circumstances facing China-Japan relations, they should maintain close dialogue and communication, strengthen exchanges between the ruling parties, political leaders and young politicians of both countries, enhance mutual understanding and trust, and lay a solid political foundation for improving and developing China-Japan relations, thereby building a constructive and stable relationship.

The two sides exchanged views on issues such as the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water and Japanese seafood imports. They agreed to promote the implementation of the consensus reached by the two governments, accelerate communication and consultation and properly address each other's concerns.

Both sides confirmed their commitment to continue promoting practical cooperation through the exchange mechanism to achieve results, and tentatively agreed to hold the 10th meeting of the China-Japan ruling party exchange mechanism in Japan this autumn.

The latest meeting comes less than a month after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya held talks in Beijing in December 2024, reaching an agreement on promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, according to the Xinhua News Agency. 

Separately, Japanese farm minister Taku Eto said on Tuesday in Tokyo he will make a three-day visit to China later this week for talks with his counterpart and other officials, Japan's media Kyodo News reported.

The Chinese Defense Ministry announced on Monday that a delegation from the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army will visit Japan in mid-January under a mutual agreement.  

The recent frequent exchanges between China and Japan indicate that the two sides, especially the Japanese side, intend to further improve bilateral relations in the new year, and are looking forward to expanding cooperation with China in as many areas as possible, Liu Jiangyong, vice dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University told the Global Times. 

He pointed out that the Japanese ruling coalition's visit aims to achieve substantial results, such as on the export of Japanese seafood to China, in order to showcase the party's diplomatic achievements to the domestic audience. 

There is strong criticism from right-wing forces in Japan regarding the ruling coalition's efforts to improve relations with China, and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration needs to reduce internal constraints by delivering results in relations with China.

On Tuesday, Japanese media Sankei Shimbun published an editorial titled "Why Are Japanese Politicians Heading to China but Not the US," questioning the delegation of Japan's ruling coalition's trip to China. 

"Don't these party bigwigs have their priorities for such high-level visits all wrong? Isn't the first place top officials of the ruling parties supporting the Shigeru Ishiba administration should go, after all, to our ally, the US?" asked the editorial.

Lü Chao, an expert on the Korean Peninsula at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that for China-Japan ties to make real improvement, Ishiba's government needs to first stay clear of the influence of Japan's hawkish factions and pressure from US that seek to hinder Tokyo's interactions with Beijing. 

The crucial question now is whether Japan can effectively continue its current pragmatic approach to China and take advantage of this opportunity to foster warmer ties. By building mutual trust, both nations can bring much-needed warmth to their frosty relationship, according to Lü.