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China defence chief visits Japan Japan and China in defence talks
(1 day later)
Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan is to begin a five-day visit to Japan for talks with top military leaders. Japanese and Chinese defence chiefs agreed steps to ease military tensions at their first talks in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, for almost 10 years.
Mr Cao is expected to meet his newly-installed counterpart, Masahiko Komura, and inspect Japanese Self-Defence Force troops. They agreed to set up a study group for a military hotline and to arrange a naval exchange, officials said.
His visit is the first by a Chinese defence minister in over nine years. The Japanese Defence Minister, Masahiko Komura, also raised the issue of China's rising military spending with his counterpart, Cao Gangchuan.
It is being seen as a sign of improving Sino-Japanese ties, which were strained under Japan's former Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi. He urged China to fully explain the reasons for the rise, officials said.
China had objected to Mr Koizumi's repeated visits to a controversial war-linked shrine, and high-levels summits were suspended over the issue. Mr Cao is spending five days in Japan.
But since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in September 2006, ties have warmed and Mr Cao's visit is being seen as a chance for further thawing. His visit is being seen as a sign of improving Sino-Japanese ties, which were strained under Japan's former prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi.
Unresolved issues China had objected to Mr Koizumi's repeated visits to a controversial war-linked shrine, and high-level summits were suspended over the issue.
The talks between the two defence ministers are likely to focus on confidence-building measures such as naval exchanges and the setting up of a military-to-military hotline. Military fears
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has worked to improve the relationship since he took office in September 2006.
KEY ISSUES History: Japan's neighbours think it has not done enough to atone for wartime atrocitiesTrade: Bilateral trade is growing stronglyNorth Korea: Japan often takes a tougher stance than China over the nuclear issueEast China Sea: Beijing and Tokyo disagree over the boundary between their exclusive economic zonesSecurity: Japan wants to revise its pacifist constitution, which concerns China. China's military expansion concerns Japan.KEY ISSUES History: Japan's neighbours think it has not done enough to atone for wartime atrocitiesTrade: Bilateral trade is growing stronglyNorth Korea: Japan often takes a tougher stance than China over the nuclear issueEast China Sea: Beijing and Tokyo disagree over the boundary between their exclusive economic zonesSecurity: Japan wants to revise its pacifist constitution, which concerns China. China's military expansion concerns Japan.
But as ever, says the BBC's Rob Watson, the symbolism is as important as the substance, with both Tokyo and Beijing seemingly intent on better relations. "By inviting China's defence chief, we hope that we will further enhance relations between Japan and China," Mr Komura told journalists as the talks began.
Analysts say the change in mood reflects a growing feeling among senior Japanese officials both inside and outside the military that China is too big and too important to ignore. Both sides agreed they wanted a military hotline established as soon as possible, a Japanese official said.
To some extent Japan is following the lead of the US, which has clearly softened its line towards China under Defence Secretary Robert Gates, our correspondent adds. Such a line would avert crises such as the one in November 2004 when Japan said a Chinese submarine had entered its territorial waters.
But Tokyo and Beijing are hedging their bets, with both simultaneously pursuing military modernisation programmes just in case. The two sides also agreed on reciprocal port calls by naval vessels. A Chinese ship will visit Japan later this year, officials said.
Disputes over territory and undersea energy resources remain unresolved between the two sides. Mr Komura urged China to clarify its defence spending and the goals of its military expansion, officials said. Mr Cao reportedly responded that the rise in spending was in line with global trends.
And, as always, in the background are the historical tensions and the competing claim of both countries to be the region's natural top dog, our correspondent says. In recent months, both Japan and China have been expressing concern over each other's military intentions.
Japan is worried about what it calls a lack of transparency in China's defence budget. It feels the real figure for military expenditure is far higher than Beijing admits. The US has expressed similar concerns.
China, meanwhile, has expressed concern about Japan's plans for closer military co-operation with India, the United States and Australia.