China's Xi, Japan's Abe meet at Beijing APEC summit

BEIJING, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The leaders of Japan and China met for a formal handshake Monday at the APEC summit meeting in Beijing, the possible start of a thaw in their countries' relationship.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's frosty meeting Monday in Beijing's Great Hall of the People recalled their most recent discussion in 2012, which lasted 30 minutes and appeared to offer no basis for improvement in relations between their countries.

"I believe Japan and China took the first step toward improving our relationship as we go back to the principle of mutually beneficial strategic relations," Abe said afterward.

The ceremonial handshake was requested by Abe, the Beijing government said, as part of the start of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the high-level leaders who will attend. Diplomatic relations between China and Japan have been sensitive since 2012, due to competing territorial claims over a string of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Both sides have sent fighter planes to the area because of perceived invasions, and both have accused the other's leaders of militarism. Anti-Japan riots broke out in Chinese cities in 2012.