China, Japan exchange congratulations on 45th anniversary of peace, friendship treaty.

BEIJING -- Despite the severe difficulties facing the China-Japan relations, Chinese Premier and Japanese Prime Minister exchanged congratulations on Monday on the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between China and Japan.

Some experts considered the move a significant gesture of stabilizing bilateral relations, as Tokyo could make some tactical diplomatic adjustments in engaging with Beijing and easing tensions, considering its domestic political and economic dilemma as well as geopolitical challenges on the global stage.

The current escalation of disputes between the two countries amid low public sentiment firstly pertains to geopolitical security, including the dispute over the Diaoyu Islands, in addition to Japan's revised national security strategy that refers to China as a threat, along with its growing defense and security cooperation with the US in order to deter China, particularly on the Taiwan question, which could eventually lead to some essential changes and deliver a heavy blow to bilateral relations, experts warned.

Premier Li Qiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday exchanged congratulations on the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between China and Japan.

In his message, Li said that China is willing to work with Japan to revive the spirit of the treaty, stay the course in steering bilateral relations, and commit to building China-Japan relations suited to the requirements of the new era.

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the treaty coming into effect, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the recent 19th Beijing-Tokyo Forum that Japan's perception of China has noticeably regressed, mistakenly seeing the country as an unprecedented major strategic challenge. By repeatedly overstepping boundaries on the Taiwan question, Japan has caused substantial harm to the political foundation of bilateral relations, the Chinese top diplomat warned.

Wang also put forward a five-point proposal on bilateral relations, including acting upon the political promises with common understanding on such important sensitive issues as history and the Taiwan question, preventing decoupling and manmade limits using the excuse of 'economic security', and taking seriously the opposition to and concerns at home and abroad over the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water and jointly opposing any attempt to seek a new Cold War and small cliques.

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