|
Japan, China eye hotline to boost military ties
2007-08-30
Japan and China agreed Thursday to work to ease military tensions through a crisis hotline and ship exchanges despite lingering unease over Taiwan and Beijing's growing defence spending. General Cao Gangchuan, the first Chinese military chief to visit Japan in nearly a decade, met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after holding talks with Defence Minister Masahiko Komura. "By inviting China's defence chief, we hope that we will further enhance relations between Japan and China," Komura said as he welcomed Cao at the defence ministry. The two agreed to launch a study group to set up a military hotline. The two nations had a crisis in 2004 when Japan said a Chinese submarine intruded its waters. "Both leaders agreed that they want to see it achieved as soon as possible," said a Japanese defence official who attended the talks. Cao also invited Japan to observe a Chinese military exercise next month and agreed on exchange visits of vessels, scheduling a Chinese ship to visit Japan in November or December, the official said. The general's visit to Japan was the first by a Chinese defence minister since Feburary 1998, before relations between Tokyo and Beijing turned icy under former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi. Koizumi drew China's ire by annually visiting the controversial Yasukuni shrine, which honours war dead along with war criminals who led Japan's militarism in Asia. But Koizumi's successor Abe has worked to repair relations with China and headed to Beijing days after taking office in September last year. Defence matters remain a thorn in ties between the two countries. Abe's government has joined the United States in voicing concern about China's soaring military spending. Komura called on China to increase transparency of the defence expenditure. "China is yet to explain fully the rationale behind the rapid pace of the increase in its military spending, such as what it wants to do and the goals," Komura said, according to the official. "Japanese people would feel more at ease if China explained more," he said. Cao explained that China has spent much of its increased military spending to raise salaries for soldiers and on uniforms, but added that China is also modernising its military in line with global trends. He was also quoted as saying that the military build-up was aimed at preventing violations of Chinese waters and airspace. Japan has been officially pacifist since its defeat in World War II and relies on US protection, despite also having one of the world's best-funded armed forces. Abe has championed a greater military role for Japan and has sought to ease potential concerns from China and South Korea. Komura told the Chinese general that the US alliance was the foundation of Japan's defence policy, the official said. Cao replied that China "viewed the alliance with interest" in the context of the Taiwan issue, but did not elaborate. China considers Taiwan a province awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. Japan and the United States raised Chinese concern in 2005 by saying Taiwan was a common security issue. The official said the two defence ministers also discussed efforts to end the nuclear drive of North Korea, an ally of China and arch-enemy of Japan.
|  | | | Profile |
News128 | Gallery | Links | |
| |
|
|
| 
