Chronologies
Japan - China
Chronology from Sep 2013 to Dec 2013
: PM Abe visits Yasukuni Shrine. Ambassador Cheng protests at Foreign Ministry.
: Foreign Minister Kishida and Ambassador Cheng meet at Foreign Ministry; Cheng expresses intent to make every effort to improve relations.
: Japan’s Cabinet approves National Security Strategy, National Defense Program Guidelines, and Mid-Term Defense Plan.
: Joint statement at conclusion of Japan-ASEAN meeting calls for international cooperation to ensure freedom of overflight and civil aviation safety in accordance with international law. China is not mentioned, but expresses strong dissatisfaction with resolution.
: China’s Foreign Ministry criticizes Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ use of its website to post videos to assert Japanese claims to Senkakus.
: Abe government completes work on Japan’s National Defense Program Guidelines and Mid-Term Defense Plan.
: PM Abe proposes development of crisis management to deal with incidents in East China Sea airspace.
: Three Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s contiguous zone near the Senkakus after spending nearly three hours in Japan’s territorial waters. The incursion is the 72nd into Japan’s territorial waters since nationalization.
: Japan’s Lower House adopts resolution calling on China to rescind its ADIZ; China criticizes resolution as irresponsible.
: Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s contiguous zone near the Senkakus.
: Chinese media highlight anniversary of Cairo Declaration, which stripped Japan of all territories seized or occupied since 1914.
: Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning accompanied by several escort ships conducts sea trials in the South China Sea.
: Third round of negotiations on a trilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) involving China, South Korea, and Japan is held in Tokyo, Japan. The agenda includes items such as trade in goods, services, investment, competition policies, and intellectual property.
: PM Abe tells Upper House Budget Committee that any action that treats Japan’s airspace over Senkakus as it were China’s airspace would be unacceptable and have no effect.
: Vice Foreign Minister Saiki calls in Ambassador Cheng to protest China’s ADIZ; Cheng rejects Japan’s protest.
: All Nippon Airlines/Japan Airlines announce that they will comply with China’s ADIZ regulations; at government urging, airlines reverse decision on Nov. 26.
: PLAAF aircraft enter Japan’s ADIZ; JASDF scrambles in response.
: China announces the establishment of an ADIZ that covers much of the East China Sea. Japan protests actions as unacceptable.
: Japan protests boarding by Chinese Coast Guard personnel of a Chinese fishing boat in Japan’s EEZ.
: Four Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s territorial waters near the Senkakus. Warned against entering Japan’s territorial water, Chinese respond in Japanese that the Diaoyu Islands have been “Chinese territory since ancient times.”
: Delegation from Japan-China Economic Association visits Beijing. Keidanren Chairman Yonekura meets Vice President Wang Yang.
: PLA Air Force (PLAAF) reconnaissance aircraft enter Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in East China Sea; JASDF scrambles in response.
: Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s territorial waters near the Senkakus.
: Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga tells reporters that Hatoyama’s remarks are not worthy of comment.
: Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japans contiguous zone near the Senkakus.
: Former PM Hatoyama Yukio, speaking at Hong Kong University, tells audience that China and Japan clearly agreed to shelve the Senkaku issues at time of normalization and that the current Japanese government is denying this agreement.
: Chinese, Japanese, and ROK deputy foreign ministers meet in Seoul.
: Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s contiguous zone near the Senkakus. When warned by Japan’s Coast Guard against entering Japan’s territorial waters, Chinese reply that the ships are exercising jurisdiction in Chinese waters on a regularly scheduled patrol.
: Japanese Coast Guard finds Chinese research ship operating in Japan’s EEZ without prior notification.
: Japan Self-Defense Force conducts joint war games focused on remote island defense; surface-to ship-missiles are deployed on Miyako-jima.
: Ministry of Defense-sponsored Tokyo Defense Forum opens; China does not participate.
: Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s territorial waters in Senkakus.
: PM Abe tells SDF audience that Japan will not allow change in the status quo.
: China Daily and Genron NPO cosponsor symposium in Beijing on China-Japan relations; former Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo attends and meets Foreign Minster Wang.
: PM Abe, in Wall Street Journal interview, expresses concern over China’s attempts to use force rather than rule of law to change status quo in Asia.
: Wang Zhen, vice chairman of National People’s Congress, meets members of Japan-China Friendship Association and underscores China’s determination to defend territory.
: China-Japan and Japan-China Friendship Associations hold symposium in Beijing marking 35th anniversary of Friendship Treaty. China warns against provocative actions.
: Japan Times reports government is considering allowing Japan Air Self-Defense Forces (JASDF) to shoot down drone aircraft intruding into Japan’s airspace.
: Three Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s contiguous zone near Senkaku Islands.
: Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Shindo Yoshitaka and a supra-party delegation of 157 Diet members visit Yasukuni Shrine.
: PM Abe, at autumn festival sends “masakaki” offering to Yasukuni Shrine but does not visit shrine. China criticizes the offering.
: PM Abe tells Lower House that government is considering various options to deal with drone aircraft in Japan’s airspace.
: PM Abe, while visiting Indonesia, warns against China’s efforts to change South China Sea status quo by use of force.
: Japan, China, ROK Cultural Affairs Minister meet in Gwangju, South Korea.
: PM Abe tells Hudson Institute audience that Japan will be a proactive contributor to world peace and stability.
: PM Abe tells New York audience that the door to talks with China is open.
: Foreign Minister Wang Yang tells Brookings Institution audience that China is ready for dialogue with Japan but Japan must recognize existence of a dispute.
: Anniversary of 1931 Manchurian Incident. China’s Foreign Ministry warns against Japan’s exaggerating conflicts to justify military expansion.
: Japan’s Advisory Panel on the Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security holds its first meeting.
: Chinese business leaders visit Tokyo.
: Four Chinese Coast Guard ships enter Japan’s contiguous zone in Senkakus, stopping short of Japan’s territorial waters after being warned by the Japanese Coast Guard.
: Japanese Cabinet Ministers Yamamoto Ichita and Shimomura Hakubun visit China to attend private symposium in Dalian, marking first visit of Abe government Cabinet-level officials to China.
: First anniversary of Senkaku nationalization; Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide tells Sapporo audience that a territorial problem does not exist.
: Chinese ships enter Japan’s territorial waters near the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. Vice Foreign Minister Saiki Akitaka calls in Chinese Ambassador Cheng Yonghua to protest.
: Chinese drone aircraft enters Japan’s ADIZ near Okinawa.
: People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships and aircraft transit in international waters/airspace between Okinawa and Miyako-jima toward western Pacific.
: Ocean Policy Advisory Council, chaired by PM Abe, holds first meeting; Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) East China Sea Resource Development Project Team meets.
: Prime Minster (PM) Abe Shinzo and President Xi Jinping exchange greetings at G20 Summit in St. Petersburg.
: Keidanren Chairman Yonekura Hiromasa visits China and meets with Tang Jiaxuan in Beijing. He also speaks at opening of China Northeast Asia Exposition in Jilin.
: Hong Kong authorities deny permission to activists to travel to Diaoyu Islands.