China And Japan to Hold Security Talks

The Diplomat: For First Time in 4 Years, China and Japan to Hold Security Talks

Senior Chinese and Japanese officials will meet later this month for a security dialogue.

For the first time in four years, Chinese and Japanese officials will hold security talks at a high-level, Reuters reported late last week.

The last time we witnessed any serious engagement between China and Japan on security issues was January 2011 in Beijing. Since then, much has transpired. The Democratic Party of Japan left the building in Tokyo, paving the way for a triumphant return to the top by Shinzo Abe, a right-wing nationalist. Similarly, Chinese President Xi Jinping came to power. Japan and China spent nearly 2 years with zero high-level diplomatic interaction owing to a sharp spike in tensions in the East China Sea after Japan nationalized the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in 2012.

Update #1: Japan, China to hold first security talks in four years -- Reuters
Update #2: China Overtakes North Korea as Japan’s Top Security Concern -- Bloomberg

WNU Editor: The U.S. - Japanese national security relationship has always been viewed in Asia as inseparable .... but as the case was four years ago in the last Chinese - Japanese security summit, the U.S. will not be present. I guess this is a sign of the times .... the U.S. influence in Asia is in a decline .... Asian pivot or not.