A recent survey conducted by a Beijing-based consultancy firm shows Chinese urban residents are changing their attitude towards Japan, with many having a more positive view of their neighbor.

A report in the English newspaper China Daily says a poll of more than 3,000 people in the country's 10 largest cities revealed that city-dwellers' perception of Japan has improved last year. An index showing the popularity of the Japanese amongst Chinese rose by ten percent last year when compared with 2006.

The survey cited high-level official visits, particularly those after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "ice-breaking" trip in 2006, as the major cause for change in perception.

The survey also found that Chinese urban residents who thought that historical issues should be shelved outnumbered those who insisted the issues should be resolved as a top priority.

It says the result indicates that urban Chinese are contributing to a breakthrough in bilateral ties.

But despite the change in perception among city dwellers, the survey shows that the image of Japan among average Chinese is still relatively bad. More than 70 percent of those polled thought that Japan did not accord China enough respect.