TOKYO, Sep 29 (Japan Today) - Japanese and Chinese leaders exchanged messages to mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties on Thursday, with little mood for a grand celebration as tensions remain over a territorial row and a deepening rift between Beijing and Western nations over Taiwan.

The messages from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping were read out at an event hosted in the afternoon by the Japan Business Federation, the country's most powerful business lobby better known as Keidanren.

Kishida talked with Xi on the phone days after he became prime minister in October 2021, but Japanese and Chinese leaders have not held a formal summit for around three years due largely to the outbreak of the coronavirus, first detected in China.

Kishida said Japan, a close U.S. security ally, is eager to have "constructive and stable" ties with China for the "peace and prosperity of the region and the world," although the two nations are facing many challenges.

Xi said Beijing will deepen cooperation with Tokyo in every field to answer the needs of a "new era," while stressing China "very much" emphasizes the development of Sino-Japanese relations. ...continue reading