"China and Japan Foreign Ministers Reach Agreement... Defense Authorities Find It Difficult to Open Hotline Within This Year"

"Due to circuit construction and other procedures, it seems possible only next year"

The king with China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister in charge of diplomacy (left in the photo) and Motegi Toshimitsu, Japan's Foreign Minister [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Sankei Shimbun reported on the 7th that the establishment of a hotline between the defense authorities of China and Japan, which was planned to be implemented within this year, is unlikely to be realized.

According to the report, China and Japan are still coordinating the establishment of a hotline between their defense authorities, which was one of the agenda items at the China-Japan Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Tokyo on the 24th of last month. At the meeting, Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister, announced at a joint press conference that they had agreed to open the hotline within this year.

Sankei stated, "The defense authorities have not yet finished coordinating the level at which the hotline will be established, and a Ministry of Defense official is puzzled as to why it was said to be within this year." A Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs official suggested that Wang Yi's mention of 'opening within this year' was "an expression of Wang's personal intention," implying that it is realistically difficult.

China and Japan have been operating a 'maritime and air communication mechanism' since June 2018 to avoid accidental clashes between the two countries. Ships and aircraft communicate directly on site, and the defense authorities discuss the operation status at regular meetings. However, there is no hotline between the defense authorities to confirm each other's intentions in urgent situations, and Sankei reported that the two foreign ministers agreed at the last meeting to establish such a hotline.

Sankei added, "There are procedures required for line construction, so the hotline establishment will likely be possible only next year." A Japanese government official analyzed Wang Yi's intention, saying, "It was probably a message to Beijing that they are working properly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.