China, Japan hold 'first high-level security talks' in 4 yrs

China and Japan have held their first high-level security talks in four years following thaw in relations over territorial and historical issues.

The meeting, held in Tokyo, came ahead of trilateral talks with South Korea on Saturday, reported the BBC.

The last round of high-level talks were held in 2011 before the ties between the two nations were strained due to a row over islands in the East China Sea.

China also argued that Japan had failed to adequately atone for aggression in World War Two.

However, the report said that the relations between the two countries are improving slowly and the establishment of a maritime communication hotline occupies utmost priority in the meeting's agenda.

The tensions have raised concerns that any clash between Chinese and Japanese paramilitary vessels patrolling waters around the disputed islands of Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, accidental or otherwise, may trigger a conflict.

Japan's deputy foreign minister said that both sides hoped to "especially discuss intentions and thoughts behind each other's defence policy."

China's Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Jianchao, on the other hand, said that he hoped that the two nations would develop a "mind to face history squarely and look into the future.