All papers reported from Beijing that Shotaro Yachi, Secretary General of Japan’s National Security Secretariat, paid a courtesy call on Premier Li on Wednesday, during which the Chinese leader expressed hope for improving ties with Japan by saying: “It is necessary to put Sino-Japanese relations back on normal track as soon as possible.” The Japanese diplomat reportedly conveyed Japan’s concern about the escalated patrol operations of Chinese public ships near the Senkakus. The papers speculated the Chinese welcomed Yachi’s visit as a chance to obtain Japan’s cooperation for hosting a successful G20 summit in Hangzhou in early September. Both sides are now expected to start full consultations to arrange a meeting between PM Abe and President Xi on the margins of the G20 conference. Yomiuri projected, however, that even if a bilateral summit is realized, Beijing will probably not take concrete steps to ease tensions in the East China Sea.