China's Hu hails diplomatic thaw on Japan visit

East Asia's biggest rivals yesterday welcomed a "warm spring" to replace the winter chill that has long cut through their relationship, as Hu Jintao arrived in Tokyo on the first visit to Japan by a Chinese president for a decade.

Though his arrival was greeted by an unlikely alliance of pro-Tibetan activists and members of the Japanese far-right, the visit is billed as a turning point in Sino-Japanese ties after years of hostility.