Levels of hostility and pessimism toward the future are dropping among Chinese and Japanese citizens, while history and territorial issues continue to impose a negative impact on public opinion, according to an annual survey unveiled on Thursday.

When Chinese citizens were asked will the relationship between the two countries worsen, 41.1 percent said yes, a significant drop from last year's 49.8 percent.

The corresponding figure in Japan also dropped from 36.8 percent to 24.7 percent, according to the 11th China-Japan Public Opinion Poll co-hosted by the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration and Japan's nonprofit think tank Genron NPO.

The past year has seen a sharp rise in Chinese people visiting Japan and 35.7 percent of those surveyed in China this year said they "want to visit Japan", up from 29.6 percent last year.

Statistics also show that an overwhelming majority in both countries believe "public-level exchanges are important toward the improvement and development of the relationship".

After an intergovernmental agreement was released last November about improving the relationship, President Xi Jinping has met twice with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Senior officials have also twice held a High-Level Political Dialogue in July and October.