TOKYO Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Monday he agreed with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe to start operating a hotline between their officials amid tensions over disputed islets in the East China SeaChina Sea.
Kishi also said at a press conference after holding a videoconference with Wei that peace and stability on the Taiwan Strait are vital for Japan's security, and Tokyo will closely monitor developments there.
Kishi said that the early establishment of a hotline between Japanese and Chinese defense authorities is important, and he expressed extreme concern about Chinese coast guard ships' activities in the waters surrounding the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands, which Beijing claims and calls Diaoyu.
The Chinese Defense Ministry quoted Wei as saying that China will firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty as well as maritime rights and interests over issues surrounding the Senkaku Islands.
According to Wei, China and Japan should manage and control risks while striving to maintain stability in the East China SeaChina Sea, while focusing on the overall situation of bilateral relations.
Kishi said the hotline will improve the efficiency of a communication mechanism that the two countries launched in 2018 to avoid accidental collisions in the air and in the sea during their first talks since December last year.
Since there are unresolved issues with China, we need to try and keep having candid communication so we can promote exchanges and foster mutual understanding and confidence, Kishi said.
Kishi said he strongly demanded Beijing's explanation on the contents of its new coast guard law, which was implemented on February 1, which allows the Chinese coast guard to use weapons against foreign ships it considers illegally entering its waters.
In February, Kishi requested talks with Wei after the enactment of the controversial law.