China, Japan Set Naval Port Calls At Defense Talks

China, Japan Set Naval Port Calls At Defense Talks

By Associated Press

TOKYO -- Chinese military growth isn't aimed at threatening any state, China's defense chief said in Tokyo on Thursday, as he stressed that Beijing was working to become more transparent about defense matters.

Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan's assertions came as the two sides agreed on reciprocal port calls by navy ships, with a Chinese warship to visit Japan as early as November, for the first time since World War II, Japanese defense officials said.

Mr. Cao met with senior Japanese officials and made a speech as part of his five-day visit to Japan, which began Wednesday and is aimed at reversing a freeze in defense contacts and improving ties.

The visit, the first by a Chinese defense chief to Japan in nearly a decade, comes amid concerns in Japan about China's military buildup. Tokyo has expressed alarm at the pace of Chinese defense spending and the lack of transparency in Beijing's military budget.

Mr. Cao insisted in his speech to Japanese defense officials and lawmakers that China's military growth wasn't aimed at any country or people, and he reiterated Beijing's stance that China would never use nuclear weapons against nonnuclear states, a group that includes Japan.

Earlier Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Mr. Cao that greater transparency in defense matters on China's part would help Beijing play an important role in Asian security, Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Mr. Cao responded by inviting Japanese observers to attend military exercises China plans to conduct in mid-September, it said.

In separate talks, Japanese Defense Minister Masahiko Komura also urged that China disclose more details about its military budget.

The two sides agreed to launch a working group to discuss possibly setting up a telephone hot line between their armies. The U.S. and China are also considering a similar hot line.