Against a background of increased friction between Japanese and Chinese ships due to the Chinese Navy's expanded activities in international waters near Japan, Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi agreed in a May 15 meeting in South Korea on the need to establish a hotline mechanism to avert problems at sea. A similar agreement was made three years ago, but little became of it. This time Tokyo and Beijing must make serious efforts to establish a hotline.
Driving China's enhanced naval activities in the seas near Japan is a desire on the part of Beijing to secure its maritime interests and to develop a blue-water navy capable of operating across open oceans. In January 2009, the Chinese Navy started its first long-term open-sea operation by taking part in a mission to curb piracy off Somalia. Because Chinese Navy activities can directly impact our country's security environment, Japan must keep tabs on their activities in close cooperation with the United States.
It is said that China's eventual aim is to deny the U.S. access to the sea between two lines — one linking Okinawa, Taiwan and the Philippines, and the other linking the Ogasawara Islands, Guam and Indonesia — to prevent American interference if China militarily "liberates" Taiwan and to increase its naval presence in the area.