Tokyo, Beijing agree to step up preparations for Xi's visit to Japan

Sino-Japanese ties have been improving recently as 2018 marked the 40th anniversary of 

Improving? Nothing happened nor seems to have been changed between Japan and China except that more and more Chinese people visit Japan and seem to have positive impression.

Circumstances surrounding China require ties with Japan to be improved. realpolitik.

Hu Jintao was much less anti-Japan and understood what Japan and Japanese companies have done for China's growth.

As long as China is improving, Japan and China relationship will be improving. A strong China means a strong Japan and Koreas, and a strong Northeast Asia.

A strong China means Japan needs the USA to stay, or the next generation will need to learn Mandarin!

How about saving the taxpayer some money and not waste on useless and pointless photo ops with visiting dictators?!