China, Japan agree to set up military hotline to avert crisis

China and Japan have agreed to create an emergency military hotline to avert potential crises over the Taiwan Strait and disputed islands.

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi and his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe agreed during a virtual meeting that the hotline would be set up by the end of 2022 to improve their maritime and aerial communication systems and prevent unintended clashes.

Although the Chinese minister did not directly mention the hotline, he explained the need to enhance communication between their respective defense ministries, strengthening high-level exchanges and practical cooperation.

In 2007, China and Japan agreed to launch a hotline to connect their armed forces. However, the nations failed to finalize the details of the deal.

China has a military hotline with the US to address crises, but Washington complained this year that calls often went unanswered. American experts believe that communication channels may have broken down due to tensions between the nations.