Japanese defense personnel begin China trip as 2 sides seek stable ties

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) – A group of personnel from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces on Wednesday began their nine-day exchange trip to China as the two sides seek stable bilateral ties.

During their trip, about 10 personnel will exchange views with officials of the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, a think tank related to China’s People's Liberation Army.

The Japanese group will also inspect Chinese military facilities in Beijing, as well as in Hubei and Guangdong provinces, according to Kyodo News.

Their trip comes after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping sought stable and mutually beneficial bilateral ties during their first summit in South Korea's southeastern city of Gyeongju last Friday.

On Saturday, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his Chinese counterpart, Dong Jun, met in Malaysia, where they agreed to promote bilateral dialogue and exchanges at various levels.

The exchange program between the two militaries started in 2001.

In January this year, a Chinese military delegation paid a rare visit to Japan to meet Japanese counterparts and senior Japanese defense officials as Tokyo called for “stable” ties with Beijing.

A visit by Chinese military officials was also scheduled for July, but the plan was canceled due to a "scheduling conflict."

The cancellation came amid near misses between Chinese fighter jets and Japanese aircraft over the Pacific, as well as the passage of a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer through the Taiwan Strait in June.