Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and his Japanese counterpart Shigeo Yamada hosted the 17th China-Japan Security Dialogue in Tokyo on February 22. Zhang Baoqun, deputy director of the Office of International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission, and Atsushi Ando, deputy director of the Defense Policy Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, attended the dialogue. Photo: Chinese Foreign Ministry

China and Japan agreed at the 17th China-Japan Security Dialogue on Wednesday to strengthen communication and cooperation on properly managing and handling disputes and differences, and maintain close contact under the framework of the maritime and air liaison mechanism between the defense departments of the two countries and open a direct telephone line at an early date. 

On Wednesday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and his Japanese counterpart Shigeo Yamada hosted the 17th China-Japan Security Dialogue in Tokyo. Zhang Baoqun, deputy director of the Office of International Military Cooperation of the Central Military Commission, and Atsushi Ando, deputy director of the Defense Policy Bureau of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, attended the dialogue.

The two countries agreed to hold security talks for the first time since 2019 on Wednesday, after senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi for about 50 minutes during the Munich Security Conference on February 18.

China expressed its solemn position and grave concern over Japan's military expansion, hyping of the "China threat" theory in its defense and security policy documents, strengthening of military and security ties with non-regional forces in neighboring areas, and repeated negative moves on issues concerning China's core and major interests such as the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue. 

The Chinese side urges Japan to correct its mistakes and correct its perception during the dialogue, adding that Japan needs to take concrete actions to honor its commitment to the path of peaceful development and the one-China principle, and be committed to building constructive security relations with China.

Sun held talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa on Wednesday, expressing the hope that Japan will focus on the common interests of its own and regional countries to safeguard mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Japan. Sun said a stable and smooth regional production and supply chain makes Asia a highland for peaceful development rather than a frontier of confrontation between camps.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Sun said, adding that the two sides should review the spirit of the treaty, continue the positive effects of high-level exchanges, properly manage differences and maintain and deepen cooperation in various fields.

Yoshimasa said that bilateral relations are rich in development potential while facing various issues at the same time. The two sides have maintained sound momentum in respect to high-level exchanges since 2022, he said, hoping that both sides will continue to strengthen dialogue and communication, jointly push forward bilateral relations and shoulder more important responsibilities for regional and world peace and stability.

Global Times