The meeting was held as part of the regular negotiations that started in 2012. Hong Liang, head of the Chinese delegation, said China is committed to maritime cooperation with Japan and looks forward to “in-depth dialogue” with his counterparts. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the country was following China’s drills around Taiwan consistently and “with great interest”, Reuters reported.
At the last meeting in November, Hong Liang criticized Tokyo for commenting on China’s actions in the Taiwan Strait. He also asked Japan to withdraw its ships from the seas around the East China Sea islands claimed by the two countries.
Coast guard vessels from the two countries regularly clash in the waters around the Japanese-controlled islands, known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu. China and Japan set up a military hotline last month to help defuse any air or sea incidents in the disputed waters.
The day before, Chinese warplanes and warships simulated strikes on Taiwan after President Tsai Ing-wen visited the United States and met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Beijing, which views Taiwan as part of China, views meetings between senior US and Taiwanese officials as interference in its internal affairs. He does not rule out the use of force to bring the province under his control.
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