Wen stressed Beijing’s theme of peaceful development to Japan’s parliament as part of a three-day trip weighted more with symbolic gestures than real breakthroughs in feuds over energy, territory and history.

But between smiles, Wen gave some hard reminders that China remains wary of Japan’s handling of legacies from its bloody occupation of much of Asia, including China, up to 1945.

“The Chinese people suffered calamity during the war of invasion launched by Japan,” Wen told legislators, noting apologies offered in past years by Japan’s leaders.

“We sincerely hope that Japan will manifest this stance and promise in practical actions.”

The two Asian giants fell out during the five-year term of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, who made annual visits to Tokyo’s Yasukuni war shrine, seen across much of the region as a symbol of past militarism.

Wen did not explicitly mention the shrine in his speech, but in an interview before his visit he pressed Abe not to go.

Abe has paid his respects before at Yasukuni, but has declined to say if he will do so as prime minister.

On Thursday, Abe applauded Wen’s trip.

“Japan and China have a long history spanning 2,000 years. With this long history in mind, we must forge forward-looking and mutually beneficial strategic relations,” he told reporters.

“The visit to Japan by Premier Wen constitutes a big step forward toward this.”

Wen also touched on the past in a meeting with Emperor Akihito — the son of Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Japanese soldiers fought and died during the war.

“It is important that past facts will continue to be passed down in a proper manner and will be used for future benefit,” an Imperial Household Agency quoted Wen as saying, using a phrase spoken by Akihito two years ago on his birthday.

In his speech to parliament, Wen had tough words about Taiwan, the former Japanese colony that has been divided since 1949 from mainland China, which says the island must accept eventual reunification.

China has criticized Japan for being too sympathetic to forces favoring Taiwan’s full independence from Beijing.

“We will strive with all our might to achieve peaceful resolution of the Taiwan issue, but we will never tolerate Taiwan independence,” Wen said.

“We hope that Japan can understand the highly sensitive nature of the Taiwan issue, abide by its pledges and handle the issue prudently.”

Wen’s speech was the first by a Chinese leader to Japan’s parliament in 22 years, another milestone in a diplomatic thaw begun in earnest with an October visit by Abe to Beijing.

Speaking like a patient schoolmaster, Wen devoted much of his parliament speech to models of past Sino-Japanese friendship, including Buddhist monks.

“The development of our relations has gone through tempests and twists and turns, but the foundation of our friendship is unshakeable just like Mount Tai and Mount Fuji,” Wen said, referring to famous landmarks in the two countries.

Wen has sought to use his human touch as a diplomatic tool — chatting with Tokyo residents during an early morning jog and promising a display of baseball when he visits Kyoto on Friday.

He also sought to reassure Japan about Beijing’s growing military strength, which Abe has said lacks transparency.

“I can take personal responsibility in telling you that China holds up the banner of peaceful development,” he said in the parliament speech, carried live on TV in both Japan and China.

Wen repeated China’s message that it was willing to seek a way to jointly develop oil and gas in the disputed East China Sea and called for accelerated efforts to reach a solution.

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