in mid-702 he was promoted to "sangi", and a month later departed for china, accompanied by yamanoue no okura and the monk and bearing the taihō code. this was the first full japanese diplomatic mission to china since the two met in conflict at the battle of baekgang. in addition to restoring normal relations, the mission also allowed for the continued maintenance of ritsuryō, and offered an opportunity to inform china of japan's name change from to . arriving in chang'an the next year, the envoys had an audience with empress consort wu. the chinese evaluated mahito as a poised and elegant man, well-read and learned in the chinese classics, and he received a temporary position in the government from the empress.