China and Japan restart talks on system to avert Diaoyu Island clashes
Negotiations held to finalise mechanism to prevent conflict near disputed Diaoyu Islands
China and Japan yesterday resumed talks on a long-halted maritime crisis management mechanism to prevent clashes around the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
Representatives from both countries are expected to finish this round of negotiations today and aim to launch the mechanism by the end of the year.
Japanese officials have said the two countries agreed on the basic framework of the mechanism in previous talks, which broke off in 2012 after Tokyo purchased the islands, and one or two rounds of negotiations were needed to finalise details.
Both countries have strengthened their forces around the islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan, prompting concerns that any clash could spark a more serious conflict.
The latest round of talks involves representatives from both countries' defence ministries and navies, according to Tetsuo Kotani, a senior researcher at the Japan Institute of International Affairs who took part in preparatory talks to restart the talks.
Kotani said the two sides would seek to finalise details such as which of the defence ministries' personnel would man a hotline and whether the mechanism would also initially apply to military aircraft. The hotline between the two defence ministries would be part of the mechanism's three-pillared structure, Kotani said.