Chinese and Japanese Vice Foreign Ministers discuss East China Sea issue; Maritime Self-Defence Force Chief dismissed over an incident of collision over a destroyer and a fishing boat
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    • Xinhua reported that China and Japan had agreed to strive for an early settlement of the East China Sea issue. This was discussed and agreed by both the parties during a two-day long high-level strategic exchange mechanism between the Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Japanese counterpart Mitoji Yabunaka which focused on enhancing mutual trust between the two countries1. However, Japan Today reported that the Vice-ministers from both the countries had failed in their talks to find a way to resolve the long-standing dispute over the development of gas fields in the East China Sea2.

    The Japanese Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba dismissed Maritime Self-Defence Force Chief of Staff Adm. Eiji Yoshikawa over the incident of a collision between a high-tech Aegis destroyer Atago and a fishing boat Seitoku Maru which left two fishermen missing. Reports noted that the Minister was particularly unhappy about the delay on the part of Adm. Yoshikawa in notifying him and the Prime Minister about the incident. Prime Minister Fukuda also ordered the Defence Minister to fundamentally reform the ministry as criticism grew over its handling of the collision3.

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