This Thursday marks the 83rd anniversary of the September 18 Incident, an event which unveiled imperial Japan's wild ambitions to invade China in 1931.

The past 83 years have witnessed the vicissitudes of both nations in different historical eras. But in the past couple of years, the bilateral relationship has got stuck in the mire. The China-Japan freeze has become the most significant part of the geopolitical landscape of Northeast Asia.

Although the trajectory is still downward, there are signs of rapprochement. On September 3, in a symposium held to observe China's victory over Japanese aggression, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that "maintaining a long-term relationship of peace and friendship with Japan is consistent with the need to safeguard amity and stability in Asia and worldwide," his first public expression of interest in breaking the deadlock of the bilateral relationship.

Meanwhile, at a news conference on the same day, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida voiced Japan's hope of warmer ties, saying that Tokyo wants to "build mutually beneficial strategic relations with China," and that the Abe administration "will seek to promote dialogue and exchanges with a view to realizing high-level political talks."

It seems that tensions between the two states may ease off, but that doesn't mean an instant solution.

Beijing and Tokyo are still looking for an appropriate opportunity so that senior officials of both sides can meet in the near future. It is uncertain whether the upcoming APEC summit in November will provide a platform for an ice-breaking meeting.

After a two-year standoff, some experts suggest it is high time for Beijing and Tokyo to recalibrate their policies toward each other.

As for Beijing, it has changed its previous plan, which was to seek rapprochement to next Japanese government after Shinzo Abe steps down, as it seems that Abe's time in office will not be as short-lived as that of his predecessors.

As for Tokyo, the negative impact of the impasse has had a spillover effect on economic ties. The "politically cold and economically hot" period has gone, and the traditional complementary economic framework from which China and Japan can both benefit is also weakening.

The current "politically cold and economically cold" situation doesn't mean China and Japan are facing an irreversible downturn in bilateral economic ties.

Changes are happening in both countries, such as China's labor costs rising and Japanese enterprises needing a more competitive processing market. These changes press them to dig deeper in bilateral economic relations and find new complementary fields. But this has been restrained by the political face-off.

It is high time that Beijing and Tokyo should expand their vision beyond the political wrangling.

Both sides need to realize that the political relationship should be less attached to historical issues, and that their focus must be put on real national interests.

Historical issues are not a trump card that can be used by either China or Japan to challenge each other. Entanglement in these issues has cost both sides too much energy.

China must face the reality that Japan has the upper hand in international public opinion. Tokyo has more experience in shaping its image in the international community by sharing practical benefits with other countries. And this makes China's accusations against Japan over historical issues receive an inadequate response.

At the same time, Japan must know that playing tricks on historical issues is pushing itself away from the opportunity of benefiting from China's growth. Tokyo must downplay its actions where historical issues are concerned. This is an important lesson it must learn when dealing with China.

Beijing must have confidence and look to the bigger vision that it is now in an irreversible process of role exchange with Japan, as China is growing increasingly powerful.

Abe's efforts, such as his turn to the political right and lifting a constitutional ban on collective defense, will hardly pose an actual threat on China. China's growing national strength is giving fewer opportunities for Japan to relive its imperial dreams, and the international community, especially the US, will not allow Japan to step over the red line. China and Japan are in an unstable structural confrontation, and historical issues are not the priority. A compromise on historical issues is necessary for both sides. In this way both sides can seek practical interests, based on which they can find solutions to resolve questions such as territorial disputes.

The article was compiled by Global Times reporter Liu Zhun based on an interview with Liang Yunxiang, a professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn