Senior Japanese official may visit capital soon

A probable visit by one of Japan's top national security officials to China in mid-July may be grounds for cautious optimism at a sensitive time ahead of a key anniversary, analysts said.

The visit, if realized, is of special significance as it comes just a few weeks before China's September military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's planned statement about the war.

Shotaro Yachi, the head of Japan's National Security Secretariat and a key foreign policy adviser to Abe, is considering a visit to China to meet with State Councilor Yang Jiechi, Japanese media outlets reported late last month.