Advance in defense talk
(From The Japan Times Sept. 4 issue)

日中防衛交流を歓迎する

The agreement in late August between the defense ministers of Japan and China to increase defense exchange is welcome. It will help reduce tension between the two countries, which has arisen from China's defense buildup, the territorial dispute over Senkaku Island, natural-gas development in the East China Sea, and the political confrontation between China and Taiwan.

The meeting between Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan and his Japanese counterpart Masahiko Komura took place in Tokyo, which itself represents a significant development. The last time Japanese and Chinese defense chiefs met was in September 2003, in Beijing, when then-Defense Agency chief Shigeru Ishiba held talks with Mr. Cao. Since then, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to Yasukuni Shrine caused enough friction to prevent further meetings.

Under the agreement struck by Mr. Komura and Mr. Cao, a working group will be set up to establish a telephone hotline between the two nations' defense authorities. Reciprocal port calls will be made between the Chinese Navy and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force. As a first step, a Chinese warship will visit Japan in November or December. Mr. Komura will visit China "at an appropriate time next year."

To keep communication smooth and open is important in averting provocative behavior and accidental military confrontations. Japan and China must further improve their communication, following the example of the United States, whose defense leaders have frequent contact with their Chinese counterparts despite the two countries' rivalry.

In spite of the bilateral developments, however, it is regrettable that Mr. Cao was not upfront in response to Japan's call for more transparency over China's defense spending, which has seen a two-digit year-on-year increase over the last 19 years. China must remember that disclosing information on its weapons and equipment, the research and development of them, and the deployment of military units and military exercises, etc., is also an important confidence-building measure.

8月30 日、高村防衛相と中国の曹剛川国防相が、両国間の防衛交流の推進に合意したことは歓迎すべきだ。この合意で、中国の軍事力拡大、尖閣諸島をめぐる領有権問題、東シナ海の天然ガス開発、中台間の政治的対立などから起きる日中間の緊張を緩和することができそうだ。

日中防衛相会談は、03年9月以来、小泉前首相の靖国参拝をめぐり中断されていた。

今回の会談では、日中の防衛当局間で緊急連絡を取るためのホットラインに関する作業グループの設置と、中国海軍と海上自衛隊の相互訪問についても合意した。まず、中国海軍艦船が11月か12月に日本を訪問する。

しかし、高村防衛相が中国の防衛予算などの情報公開を求めたのに対し、曹国防相が具体的返答を避けたのは残念だ。軍事情報の公開は、重要な信頼醸成措置となる。