TOKYO — When the much-anticipated first phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took place on Friday, the absence of one major issue made the headlines: Xi’s visit to Japan as a state guest.
Suga himself told reporters that rescheduling Xi’s Japan visit, initially set for April before being postponed by the pandemic, was not discussed. China’s official media reports made no reference to the visit.
But perhaps lost amid that intrigue was a conversation that spoke volumes of how China and Xi see Japan in the years ahead. Read more…..

Chart of the Day
Icarus TV
China is on an arduous long march to eradicate poverty. In Japan, inequalities remain despite economic growth. Our correspondents take a closer look at the countries’ quest for prosperity.