TOKYO: Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe told Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi during a video call that both sides should speed up the construction of the maritime and air liaison mechanism to deal with potential disputes, according to the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
Wei said China’s determination to safeguard sovereignty and territory over the Diaoyu Islands and in the East China Sea is unshakable, and both sides should develop an overall and long-term vision, to promote negotiations and manage disputes appropriately. Kishi said that Japan wants to maintain stable development of relations with China, and it is extremely important for China and Japan to maintain communications during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan is willing to maintain communication with China on matters of shared concern, strengthen exchanges on defense, establish a hotline for the maritime and air liaison mechanism, and jointly safeguard regional stability, said the Japanese defense minister.
Earlier November 24, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi, agreed to restart business travel between the two countries later in November, after months of discussions on reopening routes amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Tokyo also strongly demanded Beijing take “positive action” over repeated intrusions by Chinese vessels into waters around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, Motegi said during a joint news conference with Wang. The Chinese foreign minister stood his ground on the issue — one of the two countries’ most vexing — saying that China would “continue to protect our sovereignty” over the islands, which it calls the Diaoyu.
– The Daily Mail-Global Times News exchange item
