China and Japan 'to hold maritime security talks'

The governments of Japan and China have agreed to resume talks as early as next week to launch a maritime crisis management mechanism sometime this year, according to several Japanese government sources.

Arrangements were under way for working-level talks in Tokyo as both countries worked to avert unwanted clashes around the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkakus in Japan, the sources said. The uninhabited islands are controlled by Japan but claimed by both countries.

Japan has sounded out China about resuming talks by the end of January on the establishment of some mechanism that would allow their defence authorities to communicate with each other in emergencies.

Beijing responded by saying that they could be held in the middle of the month, according to the sources.

During their summit talks in November, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Xi Jinping agreed to ease tensions over the sovereignty of the islands and establish the crisis management mechanism.

Patrol ships and aircraft from China have been repeatedly spotted around the islands, keeping the Japanese authorities on the alert.