Is China's return to 'smile diplomacy' genuine?

THE frosty handshake between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting in Beijing is providing an opportunity for the two countries to end the downward spiral of the last two years, but this is by no means assured. Each must be cognisant of the sensitivities of the other in an extremely unstable relationship.

Both sides had their respective domestic audiences in mind at the historic meeting. Mr Xi, through his attitude, was showing the nationalistic Chinese public that he was by no means embracing Mr Abe, who is known for his revisionist positions on history. The Japanese leader, on his part, wanted to convince the Japanese public that he was making progress in improving relations with China, Japan's most important trading partner.

A few days before the 25-minute meeting, the two sides reached a four-point agreement that was meant to deal with two key issues: the dispute over the Senkaku islands, known to China as the Diaoyus, and visits by the Japanese leader to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine.