From The New York Times:
China acknowledged Thursday that it was willing to receive disaster relief assistance from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces in what would be the first Japanese military air mission to China since the end of World War II.
Word of discussions on military aid between the countries was first reported in Tokyo on Wednesday, when Japanese officials said that they had received a request from China for airlifted assistance and that they were preparing to respond. The Japanese officials said the Chinese request had not been detailed, but China’s greatest need was presumed to be for tents and other emergency shelter materials.
Media reports from Tokyo, however, created confusion on Friday. Reuters, quoting the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, said that the plan had been delayed because of opposition from some officials within the Chinese government and that the material would be dispatched on nonmilitary aircraft.
Read also After earthquake, China welcomes U.S. military by Gordon Lubold.
