Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Japanese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shigeo Yamada began the 17th China-Japan security dialogue and the 29th regular diplomatic consultation in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Notable Comments
Sun said at the start of the meeting in Tokyo that the international security situation has “undergone vast changes,” and there has been a “return of unilateralism, protectionism, and a Cold War mentality.”
Meanwhile, Yamada told his Chinese counterpart that although bilateral relations “have a lot of possibilities,” Japan is “facing many issues and concerns.”
To this end, he pointed to the countries’ territorial dispute over the uninhabited Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, which China recognises as the Daioyu islands.
China will continue its cooperation with Japan on giant panda conservation. People from Japan are more than welcome to visit Xiang Xiang and her pals in China. pic.twitter.com/KVy0qq6eRO
— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) February 21, 2023
In addition, Yamada raised concerns surrounding Beijing’s recent joint military drills with Moscow, and the suspected Chinese surveillance balloons that have been spotted over Japan airspace at least thrice since 2019.
Possible Discussions
According to Chinese state-owned media house Global Times, both sides will also discuss other major issues of contention during the course of the meeting.
These could include Japan’s long-term defence policy guidelines outlined in its new National Security Strategy, which was released last December, and the situation regarding Taiwan.
Timing
The meeting comes as tensions between the two countries remain high due to Japan’s support for Ukraine and its growing criticism of Chinese aggression in the region.
This meeting, which was once a regular fixture in their relationship, had not been held since 2019 due to the straining of relations.