Shinzo Abe(Pixabay)

On Thursday, China extends its invitation to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit China in a time convenient for both of their countries to discuss how they can improve relations after it was frayed before and during the Second World War.

China had often accused Japan for not atoning for its sins before and during the Second World War. Aside from this, the two countries have been arguing over a small cluster of East China Sea islets and Abe's efforts to revise the current Japanese constitution which leans towards pacifism.

However, in recent years, the two countries have been working on improving their ties as Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met last November during a regional summit in Vietnam and Japan's foreign minister visited China in January.

In the daily news briefing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that "Diplomatic authorities of the two countries are maintaining communication on this issue." He also adds that both sides should meet halfway to create a favorable environment for Abe's possible visit to China.