During his two-day visit to Japan April 11-13, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao addressed the Japanese parliament or the diet Thursday morning (April 12). He stressed in his address that China and Japan will work harder still for the "peaceful co-existence, friendship for generations, mutually-beneficial cooperation and common development," a resolve of China to take the road for peaceful development and dedicate itself to the construction of a harmonious world. His candid, amicable and affectionate speech was punctuated with enthusiastic applauses from members of the Japanese diet. When the speech was over, Madam Ohgi, President of the Japanese House of Councillors, referred to it as having "thawed" the "ice" in the parliament.

One of the substantial results of Wen's trip to Japan is that the two nations have reached consensus on the general guidelines and basic connotation on the establishment of strategic, mutual-beneficial bilateral ties, which point up the definite orientation of the improvement of bilateral relations. Both sides drafted a concrete plan for action with the improvement of Sino-Japanese ties, which enables people to see viable, practical steps for the execution of strategic, mutual-beneficial relations between the two nations. So there is absolutely no empty talk for the improvement of Sino-Japanese ties.

In fact, the resumption of an exchange of visits at the high levels has produced a noticeable, marked effect for improving bilateral ties. A new trend, which has emerged in bilateral relationships from Prime Minster Shinzo Abe's visit to China last October and Premier Wen's current trip to Japan, is evidenced in three aspects: First, the mutual affections or sentiments of the people for each other's country have bettered in the wake of the exchange of high-level visits.

A poll by the Japanese cabinet in December of 2006 indicated those respondents who described the present Japan-China ties as "sound" made up 24.7 percent of those surveyed, a rise of 2% over the same period last year. Those respondents who deemed they are imbued with a sense of cordiality toward China account for 34.3 %, up 1.9 % over 2006.

Second, Sino-Japanese economic and trade ties have warmed up along with the warming of political relations between the two nations, with an apparent expansion of Japan's exports to China, with a 20.7 % increase during January and February this year.

Third, there has been an increase in friendly and objective media reportages about each other's country thanks to activities carried out in the past cultural and sports exchange years. Japan's NHK World TV has reported more and more about the preparatory work for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, whereas China Central TV (CCTV) has released a special program on Japan to a welcome of viewers in both countries. Furthermore, the Asahi TV in Japan and the Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV in March sponsored a teleconference on Sino-Japanese ties, the first of its kind ever held between the two nations, broadcasted simultaneously to both countries and put up a platform for direct communications between the people of the two nations.

The forging of Sino-Japanese strategic ties ushers in rare opportunities in the years ahead as the improvement of Sino-Japanese ties implies an aspiration of the people of both nations as well as an irresistible tide of history. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has accepted Wen's invitation to revisit China within the year, and the Japanese side has invited President Hu Jintao to make an official trip at the appropriate time convenient to him.

In view of the present global environment, there are fewer factors to restrict or prevent China and Japan from improving their ties, and most of the major powers, including the United States, are looking forward to reconciliation between China and Japan. A host of factors facilitate the in-depth cooperation between the two nations, including economic globalization, regional integrations and growing common interests in the non-traditional security spheres.

Meanwhile, more substantial, down-to-earth work and arduous efforts are required to fulfill tasks enshrined in the joint documents to release, nevertheless. Whether China and Japan are truly able to shelve differences and make joint development with the work of demarcating the disputed areas in the East China Sea -- this poses a very touchstone to tell if both sides will genuinely establish their strategic, mutually beneficial relations.

China is to mark the July 7 Incident of 1937, an incident the Japanese intruders staged at Lougouqiao on the outskirts of Beijing, which signified the start of an all-out-war of aggression against China and the infamous Nanjing Massacre, atrocities committed by Japanese intruders against civilians in Nanjing in December 1937 with a death toll of more than 300,000. In Japan today, the right-wing forces to beautify or embellish Japan's history of aggression will possibly exert their influence upon the government. In such issues relating to history or Taiwan, they have concocted numerous cases to harm the feelings of the Chinese people and undermine Sino-Japanese ties. So it is still a common, long-term task for both countries to curb and foil interferences by the right trend of thought in Japan.

People can only voice their prudent or discreet optimism instead of "a great optimism" for the further improvement of Sino-Japanese ties. "Ice has been frozen for years or even decades, so it is almost impossible to 'thaw' it overnight." The improvement of Sino-Japanese relations are indeed irreversible, and the people of both nations have long aspired for "the spring river of endless, unceasing rolling waters" to flow eastward with a complete thawing of its fractured ice.

By People's Daily Online, and its author Prof. Liu Jiangyong with the Institute of International Studies affiliated to elite Tsinghua University in Beijing.