This year's Beijing-Tokyo Forum has opened in the Japanese capital. The annual high-level event is focused on the promotion of mutual trust, cooperation, peace and development between the two neighbors. CGTN's Terrence Terashima has more.

Experts from China and Japan gathered in Tokyo, for the 14th Beijing-Tokyo forum. Participants agreed that bilateral relation still have many issues to be resolved, amidst a fast changing global environment.

LIU HONGCAI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, 13TH CPPCC NATIONAL COMMITTEE "The world is under profound changes. The peace mechanism of Northeast Asia also provides us more platforms and larger space for our cooperation."

Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, called the two countries to stand together, criticizing US President Donald Trump's protectionist policies, which would have negative effect on regional economy.

YASUO FUKUDA FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER "Without mistake, recently the postwar international order is beginning to strain. It is necessary to reinforce it, and to repair it. China and Japan, as well as the Asian economies rely on this international order. The world will profit, Asia will profit and it will certainly be a profit for both China and Japan to maintain the international order."

TERRENCE TERASHIMA TOKYO "Ahead of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Beijing, there were some heated debate on the direction of Sino-Japan relations, and the responsibility of the two nations in the regional security."

Japan's neighbors are concerned of Abe's accelerated move to fortify its defense, revising the pacifist constitution to justify its military force.

SHINZO ABE JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER "I, as the top commander of the SDF, am determined to do the utmost effort with you to protect Japanese people's lives and peaceful living, and inherit them to the next generation."

Some cautioned that nationalistic sentiment on both sides would work negatively.

ZHU CHENGHU COUNCIL OF CHINA ARMS CONTROL "I think China-Japan military relation is the weakness for the bilateral relations. Not in the history, but today it is. I think the fundamental reason is the lack of strategic mutual trust."

Abe will meet with President Xi Jinping later this month, to discuss bilateral and regional issues. Regional security and free trade will be on the plate, which Abe needs to handle delicately in effort to maintain sound relations with Donald Trump.

Terrence Terashima, CGTN Tokyo.