The much-needed thaw between these two countries could not have come at a better time. North Korea's decision to test a nuclear bomb on Monday has radically changed the landscape in Northeast Asia and the world in general. Tokyo and Beijing were right to start by zooming in on North Korea and the security situation in the Korean Peninsula. Both sides rightly condemned the test, and Abe's announcement yesterday that Japan would not seek its own nuclear arsenal is surely what China wanted to hear. It is significant that the two sides have found common ground on this issue, as they have seldom agreed on diplomatic measures against North Korea in the past. China has a unique role to play because it shares a border with North Korea and provides most of its basic needs such as food and energy. Hundreds of North Korean refugees attempt to cross the border on a daily basis, hoping to escape the horrors of life in the impoverished, strictly controlled country. Any improvement in regional economic and political conditions would immediately benefit China. With any luck, all concerned parties will find a way to work together to pressure North Korea to drop its belligerent stance and abandon its universally condemned desire for nuclear weapons.

In a more general way, Abe's visit is likely to ease bilateral tensions that have grown to the point where they have hurt Asia as a whole. Both sides have worked very hard in the past week to improve ties, and for that they deserve to be applauded. Former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's frequent visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, where the remains of several high-level war criminals are housed, were a constant thorn in Japan's relations with China and South Korea. Koizumi may have been focussed more on his personal beliefs and Japanese tradition in visiting the country's war dead, but to China and South Korea, the visits were a red flag. The trips placed their governments in an awkward position. To appease nationalists in their own countries, the governments had to denounce the trips to avoid giving the impression that they were condoning Japan's wartime atrocities. This looks set to change under Abe.

In recent years, Japan's body language in international affairs has been very intense. Tokyo has sought a bigger global role to increase its profile and strengthen its international position to reflect its economic might. In the process, right-wing politicians put forward many new initiatives aimed at turning Japan into a fortress, raising the level of paranoia in the region. The North Korean nuclear test should help Japan and China to iron out their differences.

For the time being, it seems that Abe and the Chinese leaders, President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, have established sufficient rapport to build on their friendship. The Chinese response to Abe's explanation of the Yasukuni Shrine was rational. This should encourage Abe to rethink his strategy and stop official visits to the controversial shrine. The Chinese leaders have urged the Japanese side to remove the political obstacles to improve their relations. With goodwill and sincerity, this should be easy. One of the agreements that resulted from Abe's visit will lead to the establishment of a joint working group to work on their common history. This is a good way to get rid of their long-standing mutual mistrust.

It is imperative that the leaders of Japan and China nurture their bilateral ties, because these will serve as the foundation of multi-faceted cooperation within the region in the future. Squabbling between China and Japan is widely recognised as the main stumbling block in promoting closer cooperation in Asia. Integration and the realisation of an East Asian Community or an even broader Asian Community will not happen if these two countries are at loggerheads. The whole region would benefit from Sino-Japanese solidarity, something that has been lacking for decades.