A historical step in defense relations between China and Japan happened today with the arrival of the Shenzen — a Luhai-class warship — in Tokyo Bay. This is the first time a Chinese warship has made a port of call in Japan since the establishment of the People’s Liberation Army. The ship will be open for tours by the public during its four day stay in Tokyo Bay. Defense Minister ISHIBA Shigeru (yeah, that’s the dude on the cover of this book) said that arrangements are being made for a future visit by an MSDF destroyer to China. I wonder what the reception for that will be like?

The visit was agreed upon back in 2000 between then Japanese Prime Minister MORI and Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji. Unfortunately the Chinese were not happy about Mori’s successor making all those trips to Yasukuni, so the visit has been postponed until a less assertive came into power. Lots has happened between China and Japan in the past 7 years: disputes over EEZ; Chinese soccer riots; territorial disputes over the Senkaku; revisionist history books; fears over rising Chinese naval power; itinerant submarines, etc (not to mention the Kitty Hawk debacle last week). Many of those issues have yet to be cleared up, but high level military exchange can be an effective step towards confidence building. I am glad to see it go ahead. (If anything the Japanese should be able to get some good intel)

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