Visit of Yamaguchi boosts hopes of repairing ties

The Komeito party, the junior coalition partner of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has long maintained a tradition of friendly exchanges with China. It has often played a role in sustaining and promoting China-Japan exchanges, even during periods of strained bilateral relations.

Daisaku Ikeda, founder of Komeito, who passed away on Nov 15, long advocated for the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. He proposed the formal recognition of the People's Republic of China as early as 1968.

Natsuo Yamaguchi, the current leader of Komeito, has carried on that tradition, acting as an envoy of friendship when ties between the two countries have encountered difficulties. In recent years, Yamaguchi has delivered no fewer than five personal letters from Japanese prime ministers to the Chinese leader expressing their messages of goodwill and cooperation, aiming to bridge the differences and disputes between the two countries.