Precedent ignored for the sake of Chinese-Japanese relations

The Yomiuri editors are upset that Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping requested to see the emperor with only 20 days of advance notice. The rules state he should have given at least 30, but apparently Prime Minister Hatoyama pushed through the request himself. The Yomiuri says:

It is quite understandable that Shingo Haketa, grand steward of the Imperial Household Agency, expressed grave concern at a press conference Friday about the decision process that led to an audience with the Emperor being hastily arranged for Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. Breaking with convention, Haketa said, could lead to political exploitation of the Emperor.

Xi is scheduled to visit Japan from Monday and meet the Emperor a day later.

According to Haketa, the agency received a request from the Chinese government for a meeting with the Emperor through the Foreign Ministry on Nov. 26, which was less than 20 days before Xi's planned visit.

Government regulations state that an application for a meeting with the Emperor by any visiting foreign dignitary must be received at least one month in advance. Therefore, a day after receiving the petition, the agency told Beijing it could not accept the request in accordance with this rule.

However, the matter did not end there.

According to Haketa, he was phoned on two occasions by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, who asked that Xi be exempted from the rule.

The top government spokesman pressed Haketa to accept his request, saying on his second call that he was making it "on the instruction of the prime minister."

Hm. I'll have to think about this. Does this mean China can push Japan around? Or does it mean Japan is very hospitable to important neighbors? Or does it mean absolutely nothing at all?