Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that China-Japan relations are back on track and have improved thanks to joint efforts. 

Wang made the remarks while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. 

He said he hoped Japan could make concerted efforts with China on settling relevant disputes through negotiation, so as to create enabling conditions for proposed major diplomatic agendas.

China is willing to meet Japan halfway to fully leverage the coordinating role of the high-level cultural exchange mechanism, Wang added. 

Abe hailed the stable ties between Japan and China, stressing that the stable relationship underpins prosperity and stability in Asia. 

Japan is willing to create a new future for bilateral ties with China, Abe added. 

Echoing Wang's stance, Abe also said Japan will properly handle sensitive issues and foster a good atmosphere for improving and developing bilateral relations.

Warming ties after ups and downs 

Relations between China and Japan have been strained - largely due to Tokyo's refusal to acknowledge its wartime past to Beijing's satisfaction. But there are signs that the two sides are slowly coming to an understanding. 

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship.  

Following years of complicated relations, the 1978 deal sparked an era of improved diplomacy, the establishment of governmental dialogue mechanisms and enhanced people-to-people exchanges. 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang marked the milestone with an official visit to Japan in 2018, and Abe reciprocated with a visit to Beijing later in the year. 

It was the first visit to China by a Japanese prime minister in seven years. 

In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Abe ahead of the G20 summit in Osaka. 

They reviewed a political consensus that stated China and Japan were "cooperative partners and would never pose a threat to one another." 

The two leaders also agreed on 10 "consensus" items, and vowed to enhance political mutual trust, appropriately handle sensitive issues and strengthen security cooperation. 

(CGTN's Lu Sirui also contributed to the story.)