PRESS RELEASE

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China and Japan Take Steps To Cooperate on Maritime Matters

Dec. 10, 2016 (EIRNS)—In a further sign of easing tensions, China and Japan have agreed to work for the creation of an air and maritime contact system between their defense ministries as early as possible, Xinhua reported today. The agreement was reached during the sixth round of high-level consultations on maritime affairs between the two countries’ various departments, held on Dec. 7-9 in China’s southern city of Haikou, the capital of Hainan Island.

They will focus on transnational crimes such as smuggling and drug trafficking, Xinhua reports, and agreed to hold the first meeting of expert discussions on marine pollution before March 2017, in addition to cooperation on fisheries management and marine search-and-rescue operations.

On the territorial dispute in the East China Sea, they agreed to hold the seventh round of high-level consultations on the issues in Japan in the first half of next year.