China and Japan took a significant step towards mending their abysmal relationship on Monday as President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held their first official meeting since the two nationalistic leaders came to power in 2012.

The leaders met at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing. While the meeting lasted only 25 minutes, it signalled a thaw in relations that have been strained by a bitter dispute over contested islands in the East China Sea. The spat over the Senkaku – which China calls the Diaoyu – has propelled ties to their worst state since the nations normalised diplomatic relations in 1972.

After the summit, both leaders described the event as a step towards easing tensions. “Japan and China made the first step in improving relations by going back to the original point of a strategic relationship of mutual benefit,” Mr Abe said.