Japan calls for 'self-restraint' from China after joint fly-past with Russian fighter jets
Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi has conveyed to China his concerns after Chinese and Russian bombers recently flew near Japan in a joint "show of force".
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe in Singapore, Kishi said he had called for "self-restraint" from Beijing in the East China and South China seas, and raised strong concerns over its "unilateral attempts to alter the status quo by force".
The two ministers agreed to promote interaction and dialogue between their respective defence authorities, Kishi said. "Since Japan-China relations have matters of concern, we need to have candid communication," he noted.
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Kishi and Wei met on the sidelines of the three-day Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, which ended on Sunday. The talks were the first in-person meeting between the defence chiefs of the two neighbouring countries since December 2019.
The Japanese defence ministry said at least six Chinese and Russian strategic bombers flew a long distance over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Pacific on May 24, the same day that the leaders of Japan, the United States, Australia and India were meeting for a Quad summit in Tokyo.
"A series of joint actions" by Beijing and Moscow, such as the joint flight, were still continuing, Kishi added, without elaborating.
The talks also came as Japan said Chinese vessels had repeatedly intruded into waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, a group of disputed Tokyo-controlled uninhabited islets that Beijing claims as the Diaoyus.
Japanese officials including Kishi have expressed concern over the Chinese military's recent activities near the country. These include fighter jets taking off from and landing on the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning near the southern prefecture of Okinawa, which is close to Taiwan, for a total of 12 days last month.
With Beijing keeping up military pressure on Taiwan, a self-governed island it sees as part of its territory, Kishi also said he told Wei that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were important for the international community.
Last month, US President Joe Biden stirred controversy by expressing his commitment to defending the democratically run island if Beijing tried to seize it by force. The remarks appeared to signal a break with Washington's policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would defend Taiwan, though the White House has denied any such change.
On Saturday, the defence chiefs of Japan, the US and South Korea highlighted "the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait" in a joint statement issued after their talks.
It was the first reference to Taiwan in such a statement in defence ministerial talks among the three nations.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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