BEIJING, Ramadan 29, 1436, July 16, 2015, SPA -- China is preparing for "high-level political dialogue" with Japan, China's top diplomat told the head of Japan's National Security Council on Thursday, fuelling speculation of a leaders' summit as early as September, Reuters reported. Sino-Japanese ties have improved since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Chinese President Xi Jinping at an Asia-Pacific summit in Beijing in November. The two met for a second mini-summit in April at an Asia-Africa leaders' gathering in Jakarta. "China attaches great importance to your trip and is preparing for high-level political dialogue between the two countries," State Councillor Yang Jiechi, who outranks the foreign minister, told visiting Japanese National Security Council head Shotaro Yachi, according to a media report. Yang also told Yachi, who is a close ally of Abe's, that both countries "should promote exchanges in all aspects". "China hopes that the two countries could step in the same direction, enhance mutual trust, uphold the principles of learning from history and preparing for the future," Yang said. Yachi told Yang the bilateral relationship was improving and their meeting would be an important channel. --SPA 14:09 LOCAL TIME 11:09 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w