Other Japanese panelists attributed Japan's democracy and freedom to a peaceful approach it will take.

Though having questions and suspicions, the panelists agreed on the importance of keeping the big picture of the relationship in mind and being open and honest.

Former Japanese Ambassador to China Yuji Miyamoto appealed to the two countries to correctly define themselves, the other country and their relationship.

His call struck a chord with many participants at the forum.

"It is important that we make no bones about our own country - both merits and demerits," said Zhao Qizheng, former minister of the State Information Office of the State Council and also dean of the School of Journalism of Renmin University of China.

The latest opinion polls in China and Japan found that a majority of people get only a glimpse of the other country through indirect channels such as movies, TV programs and newspapers.

"News reports in China and Japan are oversimplifying the complicated issues in the relationship. Reading them, people will only have the lopsided view of the other country," said YasushiAkashi, former United Nations under-secretary-general and chairman of the board of trustees of International House of Japan.

When incidents occur, popular sentiment explodes in China and Japan. And the public opinion has swayed the two governments' foreign policy.

"Our goal is to change this pattern. First we conduct public opinion surveys to find out what people think. Based there on, we contemplate what we should do to have a cool-headed debate between our peoples and seek to create a sound consensus. We create this sort of setting and bring stability to intergovernmental diplomacy," Genron NPO President Yasushi Kudo said.

In 2005 when Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine created crisis in the China-Japan relations, the lines of communication between the two countries were all but broken. China Daily and the Genron NPO, an independent, non-governmental think tank in Japan, initiated the Beijing-Tokyo Forum.

This annual conference has been held alternatively in the capitals of the two countries and has developed into a pillar of public diplomacy for both China and Japan.

The relationship has been taking a roller-coaster ride in the past decade. The non-governmental dialogue the forum has helped offer is filling the diplomatic vacuum.

Now and then the forum has been used as a venue to send signals.