The new foreign minister is Wang Yi, a smooth and urbane diplomat who knows Japan well and will be in charge of repairing ties with Tokyo, damaged by a bellicose spat over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.
"China really does not want to see this kind of confrontation with Japan," said Ruan Zongze, deputy director of the China Institute of International Studies, a think-tank affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The new foreign minister has worked in Japan, which shows how much attention we are putting on this issue. We will communicate more with Japan to ameliorate the situation."
The military, often an influential voice in foreign policy, has also been making a series of conciliatory commentaries about Japan, indicating Beijing wants to climb back from the worst dip in ties between the Asian powerhouses in years.
Nevertheless, Xi will be hamstrung by the same foreign policy restrictions that beset his predecessors.
China's prosperity depends on having steady and peaceful relations with its neighbours and with Washington.
But Xi will have to prove to an increasingly nationalist domestic audience that he is defending China's legitimate rights and winning the international respect the country deserves as the world's second-largest economy.
There will be pressure on him at home to maintain a strong position on the disputes over the East China Sea islands with Japan and on the South China Sea with Southeast Asian nations. He will also have to address a strong perception in China that the United States is actively trying to contain Beijing's growing economic and military might, especially with the pivot to Asia that President Barack Obama announced in 2011.
| Jun 20 | Tropical Storm Leepi aims for Japan |
 Leepi is on track for a rain-soaked clip with Japan after pulling well clear of the Philippines on Wednesday. (accuweather.com  ) |
| Jun 20 | Soccer: Italy rallies to beat Japan 4-3 at Confed Cup |
 Italy rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat Japan 4-3 Wednesday, earning a spot in the Confederations Cup semifinals. (stamfordadvocate.com ) |
| Jun 20 | Visitors to Japan surge 30 pct in May on weaker yen |
 The estimated number of people who visited Japan in May jumped 31.2 pct from a year before to 875,400, topping 800,000 for the first time in the month, the Japan National Tourism Organization said Wednesday. (Jiji Press ) |
| Jun 20 | LDP policy chief apologizes for remarks on nuclear disaster |
 The policy chief of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party apologized Wednesday over her remarks that drew criticism for making light of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. (Kyodo ) |
| Jun 20 | Abe, Kenny affirm cooperation to realize Japan-EU FTA soon |
 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny affirmed on Wednesday their cooperation to realize a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union at an early date. (Kyodo ) |
| Jun 20 | Man arrested for punching schoolchildren outside station in Ibaraki |
 Police said Thursday they have arrested a man after he allegedly punched four schoolchildren outside Ishioka Station in Ibaraki Prefecture. (Japan Today ) |
| Jun 20 | Convenience store believed to have been robbed by same man twice |
 Police said Wednesday they are looking for a man who robbed a convenience store in Ome City, Tokyo, on Tuesday morning. Police believe the same man robbed the store in April. (Japan Today ) |
| Jun 20 | Tokyo pimp procured prostitutes only for perverted pics |
 Multiple news outlets over the weekend reported on the arrest of a 28-year-old male for operating a prostitution ring employing underage females. (Tokyo Reporter ) |
| Jun 19 | No. of suicides drops below 30,000 for first time in 15 years |
 The number of people who committed suicide in Japan in 2012 was 27,858, dropping below 30,000 for the first time in 15 years, the Cabinet Office said in a white paper on Tuesday. The figure was 2,800 fewer than in 2011. (Japan Today ) |
| Jun 19 | UNESCO register adds archive of pre-modern Japan mission to Spain |
 A collection of materials related to a 17th century mission sent by a Japanese feudal lord to Europe and the world's oldest autographic diary left 10 centuries ago by a Japanese regent have been selected for the UNESCO Memory of the World registry, the Japanese education ministry said Wednesday. (Global Post ) |
| Jun 19 | Over 1,000 people hospitalized in Japan for heatstroke |
 Almost 1,500 people were transported to hospitals by ambulance due to heatstroke last week, up sharply from 942 in the preceding week, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday. (Japan Times ) |
| Jun 19 | Mummified remains found in restaurant in Morioka |
 Police said Tuesday that a mummified body was found earlier this month in a storage cabinet in a restaurant in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. (Japan Today ) |
| Jun 19 | Traffic lights on the blink / Many too old for use; some even collapse |
 Among about 200,000 traffic signals nationwide, 16 percent are being used beyond the end of the expected lifetime of their electrical systems and some have even toppled over due to age, according to the National Police Agency. (Yomiuri ) |
| Jun 19 | Local govts wary of Mt. Fuji 'traffic jam' |
 Mt. Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan, will likely see its summer "traffic jam" of climbers worsen this year thanks to its expected addition to the UNESCO World Heritage List. (Yomiuri ) |
| Jun 19 | 'Abenomics' not raising low-end prostitution prices in Tokyo |
 In May, Akira Ikoma, the editor of a guide to men's entertainment called Ore no Tabi (My Journey), said that "Abenomics" had caused a spike in prices at high-end soapland bathhouses in Tokyo. However, the same editor tells Shukan Post (June 28) that the initiative is not impacting the low-end market in the same way. (Tokyo Reporter ) |
