From Asia Times:
The visit by Chinese Defense Minister General Cao Gangchuan to Japan this past weekend begins the process of rebuilding military confidence between the two countries and raises expectations. But judging by the past, Sino-Japanese military ties still face many challenges.
The minister’s visit, the first in almost a decade, has been described as an important step in bilateral military relations. Several of the more noticeable achievements include the decision to negotiate a military hotline to ease tensions and react to potential crisis, exchange visits by high-ranking defense officials, port calls by warships, and observation of military exercises. These are all encouraging signs, especially as they come on the heels of more than five years of stagnation in bilateral relations. [Full Text]
Jing-dong Yuan is director of education at the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies and associate professor of international policy studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies.
