Press Releases

On September 14-15, the fifth round meeting and working group meetings of the Japan-China high-level consultation on maritime affairs were held in Hiroshima. An overview of the meeting is as follows. (Japanese officials attended from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet Secretariat (Secretariat of Headquarters for Ocean Policy, Cabinet Secretariat), Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Fisheries Agency, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan Coast Guard, Ministry of the Environment, and Ministry of Defense. Chinese officials attended from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Central office for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Agriculture, State Oceanic Administration, China Geological Survey, and China Coast Guard.)

The two sides held a plenary meeting and 1) policy and law of the sea working group meeting, 2) maritime defense working group meeting, 3) maritime law enforcement and maritime safety working group meeting, and 4) maritime economy working group meeting, and exchanged opinions on matters related to the East China Sea and tangible ways to promote maritime cooperation by the two countries. 

The two sides discussed various opinions at the plenary meeting and working group meetings. 

1. Both sides shared the view to make efforts towards peace and stability in the East China Sea.  
2. Both sides shared the view to accelerate the consultation process in order to begin the implementation of the Maritime and Aerial Communication Mechanism between the Japan-China defense authorities as early as possible, to promptly hold the Sixth Joint Working Group Consultations, and to continue to promote exchanges between the two defense authorities. 
3. The Japan Coast Guard and Department of Border Control of Ministry of Public Security shared the view to continue to exchange information and to strengthen cooperation concerning measures against smuggling and illegal migration, narcotics transactions, and other maritime crimes that cross national borders. 
4. The Japan Coast Guard and the China Coast Guard shared the view that they would sufficiently utilize contact points for dialogues and deepen information exchanges and people-to-people interactions between the maritime legal enforcement entities of the two countries. 
5. Both sides exchanged view on maritime policies and law of the sea respectively and agreed to continue such exchanges. 
6. Both sides shared the view to the early launching of a dialogue platform of experts regarding Japan-China cooperation on ocean debris and to conduct a Japan-China joint ocean debris study in 2017.  
7. Both sides confirmed the importance of an early signing of the Japan-China Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) agreement and shared the view to continue their communication. 
8. Both sides exchanged frank opinions regarding the "2008 Agreement" related to the development of natural resources in the East China Sea. 
9. Both sides shared the view in principle that the Sixth Round Meeting and Working Group Meetings of the Japan-China High-Level Consultation on Maritime Affairs would be held within this year in China.