The decision 50 years ago by Beijing and Tokyo to normalize diplomatic ties ended the neighbors' confrontational Cold War-style relationship and paved the way for China to join the global economy. The strategic nature of the decision is relevant even today and goes far beyond the sugarcoated phrase both governments used at the time and thereafter: "to develop relations of peace and friendship."
The Nikkei View
50 years after normalization, Japan and China must chart new path
Security fears risk damaging economic ties unless leaders work together
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, third from left, and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, fourth from left, attend an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the normalization of relations between Japan and China on Sept. 29 in Tokyo. © Kyodo
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