It is noted that the parties initially tried to agree on a visit by the head of the Chinese defence ministry to Japan, where Wei Fenghe was to meet his Japanese counterpart Nobuo Kishi, back in October this year.
Tokyo and Beijing are currently coordinating a visit by Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe to Japan. This was announced by Kyodo on Friday.
It is noted that the parties initially tried to agree on the visit of the head of the Chinese Defence Ministry to Japan, where Wei Fenghe was to meet with his Japanese counterpart Nobuo Kishi, back in October this year. According to Kyodo, the dates of the visit are still being agreed upon and a telephone conversation between the heads of the two countries’ defence agencies may take place soon.
The last time the Chinese Minister of Defence visited Japan was in November 2009, and the last meeting of the heads of defence agencies of the two countries took place in December last year, when Taro Kono, then the head of the Japanese Ministry of Defence, visited Beijing. According to Kiyodo, China initiated negotiations on a possible visit by the head of its defence department to Japan and made a proposal to the Japanese side in September this year.
The main topic of the negotiations, if they take place, should be the situation around the disputed Senkaku Islands (Diaoyutao), stresses Kiyodo. It is noted that the topic of Chinese activity in the South China Sea will also be the focus of attention.