Chinese President Hu Jintao praised the increased cooperation between China and Japan during his state visit to Japan, offering a pair of pandas as a friendly gesture. This visit, only the second ever by a top Chinese leader, aims to build trust between the two countries. The visit comes at a time when China is trying to address international concerns about Tibetan unrest ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August. Hu was welcomed at the airport by Japanese officials and well-wishers, while protesters in the capital peacefully marched for human rights in Tibet. Right-wing activists also drove around the city with anti-China slogans, but there were no reports of violence as 7,000 police were deployed to ensure security during the visit. China is looking to improve its image as a friendly neighbor, especially after years of disagreements with Japan over its handling of wartime aggression. Hu, who has emphasized the importance of positive relations during his five-day visit to Japan, believes that stable and friendly ties are beneficial for both countries due to their closely linked economies. Hu expressed optimism for the future of the two countries' relationship and hoped that his visit would help build trust and strengthen friendship. As a goodwill gesture, Hu offered to gift Japan two pandas for research purposes, which could help improve public perception in Japan following the recent death of a popular panda at a Tokyo zoo. During an informal dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda at a Tokyo restaurant with historical ties to Sun Yat-sen, known as the "father" of modern China, he extended an offer. China has surpassed the United States as Japan's leading trade partner, with trade totaling $236.6 billion last year. The Chinese ambassador to Japan, Cui Tiankai, emphasized the importance of China and Japan working together to address various global challenges in a recent interview. However, Japan remains concerned about China's increasing diplomatic and military influence, particularly regarding disputed resources, military strength, and the quality of Chinese exports. Despite improvements in relations between the two countries, further efforts are needed to fully strengthen their ties. Hu's visit will culminate in a summit with Fukuda on Wednesday, where they plan to unveil a strategy for managing future relations between China and Japan. Both countries are eager to prevent a repeat of the tension that followed Jiang Zemin's visit to Japan ten years ago, during which he criticized Japan's past actions in China. While relations between China and Japan were strained during Koizumi's term as prime minister due to his visits to a controversial war shrine, tensions have since eased. Negotiations are still ongoing regarding sensitive issues such as Taiwan, human rights, and Japan's desire for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. Additionally, the two nations are disputing the ownership of gas reserves in the East China Sea, and a recent incident involving Chinese-made dumplings contaminated with pesticide has highlighted Japanese concerns about China's increasing influence. Japan is concerned about China's increasing defense spending, which has surpassed Japan's budget and is suspected to be even higher than reported. Japan is seeking transparency from China on this issue while also hoping for Chinese support for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. This request has previously caused tension between the two countries due to historical conflicts over Japan's wartime occupation of China and differing views on Taiwan's reunification. Tokyo has expressed its backing for a "one China" policy that encompasses Taiwan, a former Japanese colony for fifty years until 1945 with strong connections to Japan. While major progress on specific disagreements is not anticipated, both parties are eager to emphasize a positive outlook and will release a joint statement on combatting climate change, an important issue for Japan as the host of the upcoming July G8 summit. Hu is set to address students at Tokyo's Waseda University and may relax by engaging in a game of ping-pong with Fukuda.