Defense ministers from Japan, China inaugurate hotline

TOKYO — The Japanese and Chinese defense ministers inaugurated their long-awaited hotline on Tuesday as a step to build trust and improve communication at a time when Japan and other neighbors are concerned about Beijing’s increasingly assertive military activities .

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, talked for about 20 minutes through the hotline for the first time since it was established on March 31, the Japanese Defense Ministry said.

The two ministers welcomed the start of the operational use of the hotline and affirmed the importance of “the maritime and aerial communication mechanism,” which includes the hotline, in building trust between the two sides while avoiding contingencies.

Tokyo and Beijing are embroiled in a dispute over tiny Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea, known as the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. China routinely sends Coast Guard vessels and planes into waters and airspace surrounding the islands to harass Japanese vessels, with Japan’s military scrambling jets in response.

China’s naval fleet also regularly circles around Japanese coasts, sometimes in joint military exercises with Russia, irking Tokyo. Japan is increasingly worried about the tensions around self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory and has threatened to annex by force if necessary.

Hamada, noting the row over the islands and other disputes between Japan and China, said candid communication between them is necessary especially when their relations are not as good.

Hamada and Li also ensured the hotline was working properly and agreed to continue communication between their respective defense authorities.

The idea for the hotline was initially agreed in 2018 between then-prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Li Keqiang as a way to avoid accidental clashes between their militaries.

东京——周二，日本和中国防卫大臣开通了期待已久的防卫热线，此举旨在建立信任、改善沟通。目前，日本和其他邻国都对北京日益强硬的军事活动感到担忧。

日本防卫省表示，日本防卫大臣滨田康一与中国防卫大臣李尚福自3月31日开通防卫热线以来首次通过该热线通话约20分钟。

两位部长对热线投入使用表示欢迎，并强调了包括热线在内的“海空通信机制”在建立双方信任、避免意外事件发生方面的重要性。

东京和北京就东海中一些由日本控制的小岛（日本称之为尖阁诸岛，中国称之为钓鱼岛）的主权归属问题存在争端。中国经常派遣海警船和飞机进入这些岛屿周围的水域和空域骚扰日本船只，而日本军方则会紧急出动战机予以回应。

中国海军舰队也经常在日本沿海活动，有时还会与俄罗斯举行联合军事演习，这令东京感到不满。日本越来越担心围绕自治的台湾地区的紧张局势，北京声称台湾是其领土，并威胁说如有必要将以武力吞并。

滨田指出，日本和中国之间存在岛屿争端和其他争议，并表示，两国之间坦诚沟通是必要的，尤其是在两国关系不太好的情况下。

滨田和李还确保热线正常运作，并同意继续在各自的国防部门之间保持沟通。

设立热线的想法最初是在 2018 年由时任首相安倍晋三和李克强达成的，目的是为了避免两国军队之间发生意外冲突。