Japan-China Hotline Seen Not Functioning after Radar Incident

Tokyo, Dec. 9 (Jiji Press)–A hotline between Japanese and Chinese defense authorities does not appear to be working after an incident in which Chinese military aircraft directed radar at Japanese Self-Defense Forces jets, sources have said. Beijing has continued military activities in waters near the site of the incident, making the stable operation of the hotline all the more important to avoid accidental clashes. The two Asian neighbors began operating a maritime and aerial communication mechanism in 2018 to prevent contingencies and build trust. The hotline between the Japanese and Chinese defense ministries was established in March 2023 as part of the mechanism. Tokyo has not disclosed any usage records except the first phone call made by then Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in May 2023, citing considerations for relations with China. At a meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s policy division on national defense Monday, members expressed concerns that the hotline was not working. “(The government) needs to explain how much the mechanism has been used,” former Defense Minister Tomomi Inada told reporters after the meeting. Discrepancies in claims and explanations between Japan and China over the radar incident likely stem from the hotline’s failure to bridge the two sides. Although the maritime and aerial communication mechanism includes annual meetings between defense authorities, only three gatherings have been held so far, raising questions about its effectiveness in building bilateral trust. “Even if we can communicate (with the Chinese side), things will happen,” a senior SDF official said. “Without good relations in times of normalcy, misunderstanding is more likely to occur.” The Japanese Defense Ministry has said that Chinese military aircraft from the Chinese naval carrier Liaoning intermittently directed radar at Air SDF fighters over the high seas in the Pacific Ocean near Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa on Saturday. There were about 100 aircraft takeoffs and landings on the Liaoning over the two days through Sunday as the carrier sailed between Okinawa’s main island and Minamidaito Island. It remains to be seen whether Tokyo and Beijing can communicate and resolve the situation amid lingering concerns about possible accidental clashes. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]