Japan, China to mend ties on tenuous foundation in 2018

A thaw in Japan-China relations in 2018 is likely to be restricted to areas of mutual economic benefit as the countries' fundamental rivalry in the Asia-Pacific region remains unchanged.With next year marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of a peace and friendship treaty between the two countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on the margins of a regional summit in Vietnam in November to make a "new start" in bilateral relations.Abe said 2018 could see the two countries' leaders swap visits for the first time in a decade.There are clear eco…READ FULL ARTICLE