Time:2009/5/4 

On March 22 – 26, 2009, upon request of the China Association for International Friendship Contact (CAIFC), Prof. Zhu Feng, Deputy Director, Center for International Strategic Studies, Peking University, led a delegation to Japan to participate in “The 9th China-Japan Seminar on Security Issues in Northeast Asia.” Prof. Yu Tiejun, CISS Secretary-General was among the delegation. Prof. Wang Jisi, Director of CISS, who was also in Japan at the time, attended the seminar and made concluding remarks.

L-R: Chairman Masahiro Akiyama, Professor Sieichiro Takagi, Vice President Akio Watanabe and Professor Wang Jisi.

L-R: Professor Sieichiro Takagi, Professor Kamiya Matake, Professor Wu Jinan and Associate Professor Yu Tiejun. 

“The 9th China-Japan Seminar on Security Issues in Northeast Asia” was held on March 22nd in Tokyo, Japan at the Hotel New Otani. With the establishment of 10 years of experience of the Sasakawa Japan-China Friendship Funds security exchange programs, this meeting was held to explore cooperation on future projects. Chinese scholars attending the meeting included: Professor Ouyang Wei, PLA University of National Defense; Professor Wu Jinan, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies; Professor Wang Shaopu, Shanghai Jiaotong University; Experts Jiang Xinfeng and Wen Bing, Chinese Academy of Military Science; and Associate Professor Yu Tiejun, School of International Studies, Peking University. Japanese scholars who attended the meeting included Chairman Masahiro Akiyama, Japan Ocean Policy Research Foundation; Professor Seiichiro Takagi, Japan Aoyama Gakuin University; Professor Kamiya Matake, Japan National Defense Academy; Military Instructor Masayuki Masuda, Japan National Institute for Defense Studies; Director Yukinari Hirose, Local Cooperation Planning Division, Bureau of Local Cooperation, Japan Ministry of Defense.

The meeting covered four topics, which were: (1) Security Protection Defense Exchange Theory; (2) Japan and China’s Protection of Security—History and status quo of Defense Exchange; (3)Evaluation of Japan-China Security Protection Defense exchanges; (4) Prospects of Japan-China security and Defense Exchange.

Professor Zhu Feng’s keynote speech was titled “The Background, Location and Evaluation of China’s Security and Defense Exchange.” In his speech, he pointed out that security is the most important national interest in the process of China’s peaceful development. China has two important roles in the global security system: as a “guarantor” of security and as a “reformer.” In the 21st century, the reality is that countries around the world are highly interdependent economically and financially; challenges to the environment, climate, ecology, and anti-terrorism call for a change in the traditional sense of security. Facing global issues and common challenges together to achieve sustainable and shared prosperity should be a priority in order to achieve important international security objectives. Looking ahead, China will take an active role in several aspects of defense and security exchange: The first is to increase trust by enhancing the knowledge and understanding between the armed forces and defense departments of different countries; The second is to ensure correct guidance of each respective countries’ domestic media and public opinion, to establish mutual understanding between the citizens of each country, to resolve possible misunderstandings or hostility, and enhance the image of their respective countries; The third is to promote exchanges and cooperation in other fields, to help catalyze bilateral relations between new areas; The fourth is, through defense and security cooperation, to promote a sense of responsibility to maintain world peace and stability, as well as increase the sense of responsibility in the countries for the world of international security affairs.

L-R: Chairman Masahiro Akiyama, Professor Zhu Feng and Director Yu Zhan

Mr. Akio Watanabe, Vice President of Research Institute for Peace and Security, Japan and Professor Wang Jisi, Dean of the School of International Studies, Director of CISS, Peking University, made concluding remarks on behalf of each party.

Mr. Watanabe asserted that though progress has been made in security exchange, many problems in security studies still exist. Therefore, studies in the security of defense should become more in depth and pragmatic. On the future development of Sino-Japanese relations, research should be conducted in a multilateral framework, to continue to help Sino-Japanese relations progress forward, through security and defense exchanges. Having carried out the 9th year of the Sino-Japanese security issues in Northeast Asia Research project, there are still communication problems, such as the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), that are not as open to exchange. The “transparency” of the Chinese military, even “food safety”, and many other problems have yet to be resolved. The two defense departments should work on these issues, and experts and scholars should research into these issues thoroughly.

Professor Wang Jisi stated one achievement, posed six points to consider, and summarized the 10 years of security research projects and future prospects. The achievement is that, through security research projects and exchanges, consensus between China and Japan increased, and exchange between the Defense Departments at all levels has been promoted. It should be noted that on March 20, 2009, the Minister of Defense of China and the Japanese Minister of Defense reached a consensus on 10 parts of defense issues, which shows that research and exchange made through this have achieved certain results. However, problems still exist. Professor Wang offered new considerations for the future study of Sino-Japanese Security Defense Studies: (1) A long-term issue to address is how China and Japan can avoid posing as security threats to each other; (2) The growth of China’s military forces during the process of China’s peaceful development is inevitable; for Japan to cast doubt on this is inevitable; (3) Japan has asked China to increase its military transparency; however because of China's national conditions, there cannot be a breakthrough on this issue for a period of time; (4) With the growth of China’s overseas interests, China’s overseas activities will also increase. Japan should view the emergence and development of this, in a comprehensive perspective; (5) China-US-Japan dialogue, should start off with less sensitive issues, beginning on a Track II communication platform, or else neighboring countries may not be at ease; (6) The two sides should increase dialogue on a wide range of international security issues, not just the ones restricted to the East Asian security and bilateral relations.

On March 24th, the delegation also visited Japan’s Ministry of Defense, and engaged in discussions about North Korea’s test firing of the rocket, the development of the East China Sea, disputes of territorial seas, and the US-Japan Alliance, with officials at various levels of the Ministry of Defense.