Q3:
What may lead to a breakthrough?

I am convinced that in the end, the good sense of the people of the two countries will prevail, and this forum has played, and still plays, a very important role in bridging the gaps.

The media sometimes oversimplify (the relationship)...Japan made a lot of mistakes in the past by branding some nations.

Countries in Asia have to adjust to each other. And that takes time. Problems tend to be exacerbated, especially territorial issues, or issues of history.

With 10 years of forum dialogue, a strong trust has been built among the attendees through face-to-face interactions and communications.

The strategic order in the East Asia has changed. The Japan-China relationship now should be examined in a trilateral context rather than a bilateral one, giving due consideration to the influence of the United States.

A successful political settlement requires "techniques in diplomacy", and a final scenario involving a total loss by either side should be avoided.

The forum's key strength is that it gathers policy advisers who are determined to improve the relationship and it targets improving public opinion.

Structural problems are haunting ties, and one of them is the rising nationalism. Radical public opinion sometimes hijacks governmental agendas.

We should amplify the voices that advocate friendly ties, and we should create a better climate of public opinion to usher in more dialogue between the two governments.

Through forum dialogues, both sides have agreed that the more difficult the situation is, the harder the forum should work to bridge the gap that cannot be covered by governmental contacts.

A major problem is that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been working on getting China's neighbors to contain China... The tension in ties also forced some other nations into a dilemma of taking sides.

To deal with the worsening situation, everyone should contribute to enhancing public opinion (for improving ties) and explain the importance of a sound China-Japan relationship.

The forum kicked off in 2005, a year of a major difficulty in bilateral ties, and the situation this year seems even harder. But we have seen an unparalleled yearning and perseverance from both sides for improving ties.

Bilateral problems now go to a multilateral context... And 10 years ago, separate problems made headlines one by one. Territorial and historical issues flaring up almost simultaneously, resonating with each other to create a bigger impact.

Neither side hopes to end up in a war, and there is a shared pursuit for a political settlement to ensure security in the Asia-Pacific region. The final breakthrough lies in finding common ground.

Compared to official channels, it has been a unique platform for both sides to know more thoroughly about the other side's strategic targets and considerations.

The US pivot has re-ignited hidden issues between China and Japan...And Tokyo's defense policies have shifted in the past few years.

The only feasible path is to rein in the contradictions and deepen cooperation. The confrontational, tense side of the relationship should be "watered down".

Sino-Japan economic ties show signs of improvement

Despite strained political relations between China and Japan, trade is flowing, two-way investments are recovering and the trend is expected to continue in the near future, experts said.

A recent decline in the value of bilateral trade, as well as Japan's direct investment into China, was mainly caused by economic restructuring in both countries, though recent tensions were partly to blame.

"Trade flows between China and Japan will maintain a steady development and the value of Japan's exports to China and China's exports to Japan are showing signs of recovery," Hirohide Yamaguchi, chairman of the advisory board of Nikko Financial Intelligence Inc, told China Daily on Saturday.

He added that the political difficulties between China and Japan, "somewhat dented, but could not fully stop, the economic and trade activities" between the two countries.

Japanese vehicle producers' sales in China improved this year after the slump amid tensions over the the Diaoyu Islands in 2012.

In the first four months of the year, Japan's Toyota Motor Corp and its two local joint-venture partners sold 313,800 vehicles, up 20.2 percent from a year earlier.

Chinese tourist numbers to Japan also recovered with 1.05 million recorded in March, up 22.6 percent year-on-year, NHK reported. [More]

About Beijing-Tokyo Forum

When the Beijing-Tokyo Forum first became reality in August 2005, relations between China and Japan were experiencing difficulties. Now, it is amid a new wave of tensions that the two sides are busy preparing for the tenth session of the forum, which will be held in Tokyo in September.

Actually, there have been tensions between the two countries for the past ten years. Historical problems, the territorial dispute over the Diaoyu Islands?and strategic antagonism are all obstacles in the way of the two neighbors improving relations. With the right-wing Abe administration adopting a hardline stance against China, relations between the two countries are now at their lowest point since ties were normalized in 1972.

Worse, unlike previous years where their tensions involved only their own relations, the recent flareup in tensions has become an international affair with the United States reaffirming its support for its ally. It is not hard to conclude that with the US keen to use Japan as its proxy in its efforts to contain China, the differences between China and Japan are becoming an increasingly hard knot to untangle. [More]

Timeline of ties in the past 10 years

In April 2007, then premier Wen Jiabao paid an "ice-thawing" visit to Japan.

In December 2007, a visit to China by then Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda was described as a "spring-herald" event.

In September 2010, 15 Chinese fishermen were illegally seized and detained by Japanese authorities after their trawler collided with two Japanese Coast Guard patrol vessels near the Diaoyu Islands.

On Sept 10, 2012, the Japanese government announced its decision to "purchase" part of the Diaoyu Islands. The illegal move resulted in the suspension of various bilateral exchanges and led to anti-Japan protests in China.

On Nov 23, 2013, China declared the establishment of an East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone that covers the Diaoyu Islands.

On Dec 26, 2013, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine on the first anniversary of his second stint as prime minister, drawing worldwide criticism. [More]