Japan business delegation visits China amid thaw hopes

A delegation of around 200 executives from major Japanese firms arrived Monday in Beijing with the hope of opening a path for improved bilateral relations, Japan's Kyodo reported.
The visit comes less than two months before China hosts a regional summit during which the current top political leaders of the two countries might have a chance to hold official talks for the first time.
The visit by the Japan-China Economic Association, led by Fujio Cho, Toyota Motor Corp. honorary chairman, is the biggest business mission to travel between Tokyo and Beijing since bilateral ties were severely strained two years ago due to renewed tensions over a group of small islands that both claim sovereignty over.