Japan and China will restart mutual visits by their defense officers in July after a four-year hiatus to establish a mutual understanding amid strained relations, the program’s organizer said on May 30.
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) will send 10 senior officers to visit China in July, while the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) members will visit Japan in the fall, the Sasakawa Japan-China Friendship Fund (SJCFF) stated.
The SJCFF is a private foundation established by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 1989, which has been instrumental in organizing the exchange program between Japan and China, Kyodo News reported.
The decision to resume mutual visits between SDF and PLA officers came as China abolished its strict “zero-COVID” policy in December. The last exchanges took place in 2019, before the pandemic occurred….