Why China letting Japan’s warship fly the rising sun flag is a sign of the ‘closer’ times

The arrival of a Japanese destroyer to the city of Qingdao marked the first time in seven years that one of Tokyo’s warship has visited China and proved both nations are trying to narrow differences in a time of great uncertainty, experts said.

The Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer Suzutsuki arrived in Qingdao on Sunday and will be among vessels from 10 nations – including South Korea, Russia and India – that will be taking part in the review.

Significantly, the Japanese ship arrived in port flying three flags; the national flag of Japan at its bow, the Chinese flag above the bridge and the rising sun – the ensign of the MSDF – at its stern.

Despite being recognised internationally as the ensign of Japan’s modern-day naval forces, the red sun with rays on a white background is still considered in many parts of Asia to be a symbol of Imperial Japan’s invasion and occupation in the early decades of the last century.

A planned visit by another Japanese warship to South Korea earlier this year was cancelled when the Japanese government refused to lower the vessel’s rising sun flag, further fuelling bad sentiment between the two governments.