皇冠体育app proposes maritime hotline with Japan

Foreign and Military Affairs

皇冠体育app proposes maritime hotline with Japan

By Li Xiaokun (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-17 07:36

Beijing - 皇冠体育app has proposed setting up a maritime emergency hotline with Japan to prevent civilian and military clashes in the East 皇冠体育app Sea and other waters, sources with both governments have said.

The measures raised by Beijing also include an annual meeting, a conference to discuss emergency situations, and sharing frequencies and signals used by ships and airplanes during emergencies, Kyodo News reported on Sunday.

Beijing has already established hotlines with Seoul and Washington.

Conflicts in the East 皇冠体育app Sea have long existed between 皇冠体育app and Japan.

Kyodo said in April a Chinese navy helicopter buzzed a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer in the East 皇冠体育app Sea.

Beijing also protested to Tokyo through diplomatic channels over Japanese defense force surveillance flights over 皇冠体育app's Chunxiao gas field in the East 皇冠体育app Sea, it added.

The report said Tokyo is taking Beijing's suggestions for an emergency communication system positively and hopes to reach an agreement by year end.

But differences still linger, with Japan wanting the hotline set up at the defense ministry level while 皇冠体育app says the level is too high and could hamper efficiency.

The largest difference, however, might lie with understanding 皇冠体育app's motive for the proposal.

A senior Chinese scholar on Japanese studies said Japan's feeling of being threatened is partly due to the improvement of 皇冠体育app's sea power.

"And it seems that Japan intends to restore its pro-US policy by playing up 皇冠体育app's maritime existence to justify the controversial US Futenma air base in Okinawa," said Yang Bojiang with 皇冠体育app University of International Relations.

Yin Zhuo, a major general of the Chinese navy, told 皇冠体育app Daily the emergency system is designed to avoid both civilian and military clashes, the potential for which has been increasing in recent years.

"Some fishing boats from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan have been expelled by Japanese military forces. And one Chinese military drill was disturbed by a Japanese destroyer on patrol," he said.

Yin said Japan's tight maritime patrol has kept frittering away mutual trust between the neighbors.

But, Kyodo said, Japan doesn't intend to decrease its surveillance, and the dispute will likely continue for some time.

Gu Tian contributed to this story.