Over the past two years, relations between Japan and China have been a little awkward because of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which is seen by Chinese as a symbolic legacy of Japanese militarism. Now, however, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi's three-day visit to China since Sunday has smoothed the way, to a certain extent, for a strengthening of the relationship of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
Another notable result is that Chinese leaders have expressed a willingness to cooperate with Japan in an international effort to stop a North Korean nuclear program that could lead to the production of weapons of mass destruction. It remains unclear, however, what Beijing can or will do to prevent Pyongyang from going nuclear. Still, the promise of Chinese cooperation is a sign of progress toward multilateral dialogue with the North Koreans -- an approach being promoted by the Japanese government.
Sino-Japanese cooperation is key to stability not only in Asia but in the rest of the world as well. It is essential particularly at a time when North Korea's overt attempt at producing highly enriched uranium, along with Iraq's suspected possession of chemical and biological weapons, is creating serious security concerns in the international community.