China and Japan held their sixth round of the dialogue in Tokyo over the weekend and the strategic talks has kept the all-important communication channels open.

The two countries initiated the talks last year to scrutinize the strategic dimensions of the bilateral relations. For the two negotiators, Vice-Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo and Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Shotaro Yachi, it is a tough job but vitally important one. China and Japan have drifted far apart by deteriorating political circumstances.

Summits between the leaders of the two countries have been called off in the past because of Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's annual pilgrimage to the Yasukuni Shrine.

Opening dialogue as a channel to better communicate with each other is of great significance for the two countries stuck in a strained relationship. They now have the opportunity to negotiate on issues of common concern and discuss divisive matters.

Koizumi moved out of the prime minister's official residence last Thursday. He will hand the reins of Japanese Government to Shinzo Abe, newly elected president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The extra session of Japan's Diet is expected to approve Abe's premiership tomorrow.

Hopes are pinned on the new prime minister.

The messages from Japan so far are unclear and confusing. Abe set forth a "strategic Asian diplomacy" in his race for prime minister, especially fixing Japan's relations with China and the Republic of Korea.

He vowed to do his utmost to create an atmosphere in which the two countries can look at the future and discuss frankly what each other should do.

The historical issue, the real thorn in the soured bilateral relations, has been excluded. The new leader of Japan has decided to leave the issue to historians. He has remained silent regarding future visits to the Yasukuni Shrine.

Earlier this month, Abe said Japan had "caused great sufferings and left scars on the peoples of many countries." The language, which echoes apologies for Japan's wartime aggression from previous leaders, was conciliatory.

At the same time, he claimed that it was not necessary to repeatedly apologize at the change of each administration.

Japan should fully understand the main reason for the deterioration of bilateral relations: the Japanese leader's pilgrimage to the Yasukuni.

China has been willing to work with Japan to remove the political obstacles and improve and develop bilateral ties and China has been waiting for sincere responses from its neighbor.
 
It is time to reduce the negative diplomatic fallout that continues to haunt the bilateral relations.

However Japan's strategy of ambiguity regarding the historical issue will not help for mend the political dimension of the bilateral relations.

(China Daily September 25, 2006)