Japan, China to Resume Reciprocal Visits of Defense Officers After 4 Years

Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) bring down the Japanese national flag in the early evening at the JGSDF Miyako camp on Miyako Island, Okinawa prefecture, Japan, on April 20, 2022. Issei Kato/Reuters

Japan and China will restart mutual visits by their defense officers in July after a four-year hiatus amid strained relations, the program’s organizer said on May 30.

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will send 10 senior officers to visit China in July, while the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) members will visit Japan in the fall, the Sasakawa Japan-China Friendship Fund (SJCFF) stated.

The SJCFF is a private foundation established by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 1989, which has been instrumental in organizing the exchange program between Japan and China, Kyodo News reported.

The decision to resume mutual visits between SDF and PLA officers came as China abolished its strict “zero-COVID” policy in December 2022. The most recent exchanges took place in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred.

About 152 SDF members have been sent to China on 13 trips, while China has dispatched 228 PLA members to Japan on 12 trips since the exchange program began in 2001, according to the organization.

Commenting on Japan–China relations, Sasakawa Yohei, honorary chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said he believes that the private sector can help to establish “a gateway for mutual understanding” between the two countries.

“The situation between governments and the private sector is different. At times like this, it is effective for the private sector to create a window for mutual understanding,” Yohei told reporters, according to The Diplomat.

“It’s very important to hobnob together and have informal conversations. This military exchange is unique even in the world.”

China–Taiwan Tensions

Relations between China and Japan have been strained by tensions in the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Japan had protested repeated intrusions by Chinese vessels in the Senkaku Islands, which are under Japanese control, although Beijing claims the islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands.

As for the situation in the Taiwan Strait, Japan considers the stability surrounding Taiwan to be of paramount importance for its security, but Beijing has warned Tokyo to not interfere in the Taiwan issue.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims democratic self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to bring the island under its control by force if necessary.

A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C Orion surveillance plane flies over the disputed islands, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea on Oct. 13, 2011. Kyodo News via AP/File

In April, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi visited China for talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, the first such visit by a Japanese foreign minister in three years.

Hayashi conveyed his concerns over “China’s intensification of military activities around Japan,” particularly near the Senkaku Islands, and China’s cooperation with Russia.

However, Qin warned Japan to refrain from “interfering in the Taiwan issue or undermining China’s sovereignty in any form,” noting that the Taiwan issue is “at the very core of China’s core interests.”

Last week, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japan’s ambassador to lodge a protest over the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders’ summit, which Japan hosted. Still, the Japanese envoy defended the G-7 actions.

“If China asks not to mention these concerns, it should first take active countermeasures,” Japanese envoy Hideo Tarumi said in a statement, urging China to handle its relations with Japan “properly.”

The two nations have established a direct military hotline to prevent maritime and air clashes. Japan’s Defense Ministry stated that the line will be used to respond to “unforeseen circumstances” and “build trust between the two countries.”