Sea, air links with Japan get a boost

Mechanism to avoid accidental clashes will go ahead ‘as soon as possible’

The Ministry of National Defense has agreed to push forward a proposed mechanism by which China and Japan would manage maritime and air communications, but it did not confirm reports that it would sign an agreement.

“The two nations held further discussions of technical issues on how to establish the mechanism and reached a consensus on some issues. We agreed to initiate preparations to establish the mechanism as soon as possible. From now on, we will continue consultation on related issues,” ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said.

Yang made the remarks on Thursday at a monthly news conference in response to some Japanese media reports that an agreement will be signed next month.

Citing anonymous sources in Japan’s Defense Ministry, Sankei Shimbun, a national Japanese newspaper, reported on Thursday that China and Japan will have their vice-ministers of defense sign an agreement on the maritime and air liaison mechanism.

The idea to build a liaison mechanism for emergencies was developed in 2007, when China and Japan’s disputes on the Diaoyu Islands were increasingly receiving global attention and the possibility of accidental conflicts between the two nation’s ships and aircraft was increasing. Then-premier Wen Jiabao issued a joint news release with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that first raised the idea of a bilateral liaison mechanism.

As tensions in the East China Sea swelled and ebbed, progress on the mechanism was slow until November’s APEC meeting in Beijing, when Abe approached President Xi Jinping to express his hope about creating the mechanism as soon as possible.

On Friday, the defense ministries of China and Japan held experts’ consultations regarding the mechanism in Beijing and reached some agreements, Yang said.

“The mechanism, if put into practice, can help both sides avoid accidental clashes,” said Zhou Yongsheng, a professor of Japanese studies at China Foreign Affairs University. “But China should be really careful with conditions of the mechanism. It should take advantage of the chance to facilitate moves on the Diaoyu Islands, not to be confined by it.”

Yang also revealed that China has sent a team of technicians to South Korea to have consultations on technical issues to establish a direct phone line between the two countries’ defense ministries.

Last Thursday, the US Senate approved the country’s 2016 national defense budget, which included an item to invite Taiwan to take part in military exercises. The US House would have to pass an identical bill and US President Barack Obama would have to sign it for the legislation to become law.

Yang said China strongly opposes any country having military ties with Taiwan.

“China urges the US to abide by the three Sino-US joint statements, properly handle the Taiwan issue and take practical actions to maintain the overall development of Sino-US military relations.”