Special envoy's visit another boost for ties

In a sign of the continuously improving Sino-Japanese relations, Vice-President Wang Qishan will attend the enthronement ceremony of Japanese Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo on Tuesday.

His attendance, as President Xi Jinping's special envoy, is also expected to pave the way for Xi's official visit to Japan, the first by a Chinese top leader in 10 years, which has been penciled in for next year.

All this is encouraging as it underscores the new momentum that has emerged in bilateral relations since last year when they were put back on a normal track as shown by a restoration of exchanges of high-level visits, which included Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Japan in May and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China in October.