Audience with emperor 'set to boost ties'

Vice-President Xi Jinping sat down yesterday with Japanese Emperor Akihito, thanks largely to the efforts of the Tokyo government.

The meeting attracted controversy because it broke a decade-old palace rule that said audiences with foreign dignitaries must be scheduled at least a month in advance.

After the government in Tokyo lobbied the palace, the meeting was finally arranged, but it did not pass off without controversy - protesters gathered outside the palace to complain about the abandoning of protocol.