Japan, China Agree on ‘Reliable’ Operation of Military Hotline Amid Tensions

Japanese Coast Guard vessels alongside a Japanese activist fishing boat (center) near a group of disputed islands called Diaoyu by China and Senkaku by Japan on Aug. 18, 2013. (Emily Wang/AP Photo)

The defense ministers of Japan and China agreed on June 3 to ensure the “reliability” of their military hotline operation in order to prevent potential clashes amid rising tensions in the East China Sea.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada met with his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to discuss their countries’ security concerns.

Both sides agreed on the need to promote dialogue and exchange while ensuring that their military hotline—which began operation last month—is being used “appropriately,” according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.

The hotline was established to link the leadership of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) at the nation’s defense ministry with Chinese defense ministry officials.

Japan’s government earlier stated the military hotline is “not only for responding when unforeseen circumstances occur but also for building trust between the two countries.”

Meanwhile, Hamada told Li that he was concerned about the situation in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, particularly the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which China also claims.

He raised concerns about China’s joint military activities with Russia around Japan and reiterated the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait. Hamada also condemned North Korea’s missile launches.

Although Li pledged to develop Japan–China relations, he warned Japan against interfering in the Taiwan issue.

Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to bring the self-ruled island under its control by force if necessary. Meanwhile, Japan considers the stability surrounding Taiwan to be of paramount importance for its national security owing to its proximity to the island.

In his speech at the summit, Li emphasized that the Taiwan issue is China’s internal affair and that no external forces are allowed to intervene, according to the Chinese Defense Ministry.

“If someone dares to separate Taiwan from China, the Chinese military will not hesitate in the slightest, will not be afraid of any opponent, and will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity no matter what the price is,” Li said.

Japan, China Defense Officials’ Visits

The ministers’ meeting came just days after the Sasakawa Japan-China Friendship Fund (SJCFF) announced that Japan and China will restart mutual visits by their defense officers in July after a four-year hiatus.

The SJCFF stated that Japan’s SDF will send 10 senior officers to visit China in July and that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army members will visit Japan in the fall.

The decision to resume mutual visits between SDF and Chinese officers came as China abolished its strict “zero-COVID” policy in December 2022.

Sasakawa Yohei, honorary chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said the private sector can help establish “a gateway for mutual understanding” amid strained relations between the two countries.

“At times like this, it is effective for the private sector to create a window for mutual understanding,” Yohei told reporters on May 30.

Last month, China summoned Japan’s ambassador to lodge a protest over what it viewed as a “smear” and “attack” against it during the G-7 summit of major industrial nations, which Japan hosted.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said that Japan collaborated with other G-7 nations to “hype up China-related issues” in their joint communiqué and “grossly interfere” with China’s internal affairs.

However, Japanese Ambassador Hideo Tarumi defended the G-7 communiqué, saying the G-7 will keep voicing their common concerns about China unless the Chinese Communist Party changes its behavior.

In the communiqué, the leaders reaffirmed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are “indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community” and called for a peaceful resolution between China and Taiwan.

The G-7 leaders also criticized China for its “militarization activities” in the disputed South China Sea and human rights abuses in Tibet and Xinjiang, where forced labor is of major concern.