Japanese summit optimism built on sand

These days it seems many people in Japan are reading their tea leaves to find out about their country's relations with China. Or, to be more exact, they want to know if there is the possibility of a one-on-one meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Beijing soon.

Some of them see signs pointing to a thaw in the relations.

They are making an optimistic prediction, because they are reading between the lines of Chinese officials' remarks, especially one by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who said on Wednesday that all officials coming to the APEC meeting will be China's guests. Abe will be in Beijing at that time.