Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, stands with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono during a photo session before the start of the Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue in Tokyo Monday, April 16, 2018. China and Japan resumed the high-level economic talks after a hiatus of nearly eight years in a sign of improving ties between the worldâs No. 2 and No. 3 economies. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) - China and Japan resumed high-level economic talks Monday after a hiatus of nearly eight years in a sign of improving ties in their often-frosty relationship.
Led by their foreign ministers, the two sides met in Tokyo for what was billed as the fourth Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue, and the first one since August 2010.
Asia's two largest economies have reason to cooperate in the face of President Donald Trump's moves to impose tariffs on imports from their countries and his demands that they open their markets more to American exports.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is heading to the United States this week to meet Trump to discuss both trade and Trump's plans for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Japan is the first by a Chinese foreign minister for bilateral talks since 2009.
He met with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono for nearly four hours on Sunday, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. The two ministers agreed on the importance of arranging respective visits by Abe to China and Chinese President Xi Jinping to Japan.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, right, arrives with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, center, for the Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue in Tokyo Monday, April 16, 2018. China and Japan resumed the high-level economic talks after a hiatus of nearly eight years in a sign of improving ties between the worldâs No. 2 and No. 3 economies. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, sixth from left, and his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono, fifth from right, sit at a meeting table of the Japan-China High-Level Economic Dialogue in Tokyo Monday, April 16, 2018. China and Japan resumed the high-level economic talks after a hiatus of nearly eight years in a sign of improving ties between the worldâs No. 2 and No. 3 economies. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, second from right, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, second from left, attend their meeting in Tokyo Sunday, April 15, 2018. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang starts two-day visit with a meeting with Japanese counterpart Kono. Wang is in Tokyo for the Japan-China Economic dialogue which has been stalled since 2010.(Behrouz Mehri/Pool Photo via AP)
The Associated Press