UPDATE - Chinese, Japanese defense chiefs discuss regional 'security concerns,' tensions in Taiwan Strait

UPDATES WITH REMARKS BY JAPANESE DEFENSE MINISTER; ADDS DETAILS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; EDITS THROUGH

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Japanese and Chinese defense ministers met in Singapore on Saturday to discuss "many security concerns," including rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea, where Beijing claims the Senkaku Islands, which Tokyo controls.

Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun met for the first time since June last year on the sidelines of the annual Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

Kihara said there are "many security concerns" for the two major Asian powers such as a row over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and increased joint military activities by China and Russia around Japan.

So, "frank discussions" are all the more needed, he added.

Kihara and Dong also discussed North Korea, which has been accelerating its missile activities, the news agency said.

The news agency said Kihara and Dong also discussed North Korea, which has increased its missile activities.

Pyongyang launched a military reconnaissance satellite on Monday but it failed to enter the orbit due to engine problems with the rocket that carried it.

- Japan conveys security concerns

Kihara conveyed Tokyo's "serious concern" to his Chinese counterpart about Beijing's "increased military activity" near Japan, while both agreed to maintain bilateral dialogue.

He also expressed Japan's concerns over rising tensions in the South China Sea and stressed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Dong, for his part, said the two neighbors "must" strive to implement concrete policies and actions to realize a political consensus that they are "cooperative partners" and "do not regard each other as a threat."

The two ministers agreed that both sides will continue to "properly" operate a bilateral defense hotline, which was launched earlier this year, with the aim of building mutual trust and avoiding contingencies at sea and in the air.

Tensions have been rising in the South China Sea, where Beijing and several neighboring countries have been embroiled in territorial disputes with the Philippines and Chinese vessels frequently colliding in disputed waters.

In the East China Sea, Tokyo often accuses Chinese ships of intruding into waters around the Senkaku Islands, which Beijing also claims and calls Diaoyu.

During last year's meeting of the defense ministers, Japan and China agreed to properly operate their defense hotline, which was launched in May 2023 to foster mutual trust and avoid contingencies at sea and air.