Japan, China Defense Chiefs Meet to Discuss ‘Many Concerns’; First Meeting Between Current Chiefs

Defense Minister Minoru Kihara of Japan met with his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, in Singapore on Saturday to discuss pressing security concerns. The two leaders addressed the ongoing territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, as well as China's increased military activity near Japan's airspace. This placed the discussion within a broader context of regional tension in East Asia, which has only been exacerbated by China's military exercises surrounding Taiwan on May 23-24. In response, Kihara emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The recent meeting marked the first time that Kihara and Dong have sat down for a bilateral discussion. Their previous meeting occurred in June 2016 on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum, also held in Singapore. During his opening comments at the meeting, Kihara underlined the necessity of candid dialogues between the two countries' defense authorities, given the considerable number of security protests facing the two regional powers. Dong added that China wanted "to seek ways to build the China-Japan relationship in a constructive and stable manner." While upset with Japan over its position on the territorial issue, China's approach to diplomacy in the region has become somewhat less confrontational recently. President Xi Jinping has signaled a desire for greater integration of China into the international community, and the rapid pace of China's economic expansion has arguably afforded the country a greater ability to expand its global influence through soft power rather than hard power. The dynamic of the relationship between China and Japan is highly complex. Though China has been forthright not only in its assertion of sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands, but also when it comes to other territorial disputes such as the South China Sea, the Japanese government's position regarding Taiwan also does not sit well with Beijing. The new administration of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which came to power in May 2016, is viewed as being sympathetic to Japan, raising further concerns in China. One recent diplomatic development that has helped lessen the risk of accidental military conflict in the region is the implementation of the hotline agreement between Japan and China in May 2016. Designed to prevent confusion or miscalculation in the event of unexpected military maneuvers, the agreement signified a step forward in the two countries' tentative rapprochement, and Saturday's meeting indicated the commitment of both Japan and China to continuing an open dialogue. Despite the difficulties of the past and the vast differences in political and economic ideology to be bridged, leaders of both countries appear to be searching for pragmatic solutions rooted in increased cooperation and understanding. Whether their efforts will bear fruit, however, remains to be seen