Japan raises concerns over rising military activity of China; calls for self restraint

Japan has raised concerns over the increasing military activity of China during a virtual meeting with a Chinese official. Takehiro Funakoshi, head of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, expressed concern over the repeated entry of Chinese vessels into Japanese waters, ANI reported citing Kyodo News report. Funakoshi made the remarks during a virtual meeting with Hong Liang, director-general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs.

Funakoshi said that the Chinese vessels have been repeatedly entering the Japanese water near the Senkaku Islands in the East China sea. Speaking at a virtual meeting, Funakoshi urged the Chinese diplomat to ensure self-constraint from the Beijing side. During the virtual meeting, Hong Liang called on the Japanese authorities to avoid taking any action that could “complicate the situation”. The Japanese Ministry has informed that Funakoshi and Hong during the virtual meeting agreed to talk to have “constructive and sustainable” bilateral ties, according to the news agency. During the meeting, both sides also agreed to the creation of an emergency hotline between Japan’s Self Defence Forces and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. 

Japan voices concern over rising military activity of China

Since the new Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took over office, this is the first meeting between the two senior officials of the two countries. Earlier, officials from China and Japan had a meeting in June. Earlier in September, China had called for a virtual meeting when former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was in office. It is pertinent to mention here that Senkaku Islands is under the administration of Japan, however, China also claims the region. 

Japan detects suspected Chinese submarine 

Earlier in September, the Japanese Defence Ministry had informed that they had detected a submarine that was suspected to be Chinese near a southern Japanese island, according to AP. The Japanese side raised alarm in the East China Sea due to the rising Chinese military activities. The ministry in the statement had informed that the submarine remained submerged, however, they suspected it to be Chinese as a Chinese Luyang III-class guided-missile destroyer was seen near the submarine, according to AP. The Japanese Defence Ministry informed that the ship and the submarine did not enter Japanese territorial water. 

(With inputs from agencies)

(Image: AP)