Abe's shortsightedness still the sticking point

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting at the request of the Japanese on Wednesday afternoon on the sidelines of the Asian African Summit held in Jakarta.

That the meeting has actually taken place exceeded the expectations of many people due to the tensions in bilateral ties.

Beijing is sincere about improving ties with Tokyo. The meeting itself shows Beijing values high-level communications with the Japanese and is willing to shoulder its due responsibilities in getting bilateral relations back on the right track.