A recent survey conducted by a Japanese newspaper reveals that nine out of ten Japanese citizens hold a negative attitude toward Sino-Japanese relations.

In 1979, Deng Xiaoping paid a visit to Kyoto on Japan’s Shinkansen.

However, a similar 2002 survey showed that 41% of the Japanese believed that Japan was on good terms with China, whereas 46% held the opposite belief.

Despite of the abovementioned fact, 49% of the Japanese suggest that the two countries should restore their friendly ties and only 40% believe that it is better the two keep their distance. The younger an interviewee is, the more he or she hopes for the fortification of the bilateral ties.

What’s more, people in both countries consider the issues of territory and history to be core problems.

In regards to the Diaoyu Islands conflict, 72% of the Japanese indicated that measures should be taken sooner rather than later, whereas a mere 24% holds the opposite view. In China, 83% of the people are looking forward to a swift settlement of the ongoing islands matter.