China, Japan agree to hold second round of maritime consultations later this year

China and Japan on Wednesday vowed to further put maritime incidents and disputes in the East China Sea "under control", as both sides are committed to boosting maritime cooperation.

During the first round of China-Japan maritime affairs high-level consultation in Hangzhou of Zhejiang province, Beijing also reiterated its stance on the Diaoyu Islands issue, over which China has undisputable sovereignty.

Analysts said the Diaoyu Islands issue is not the only topic of the talks, which also include fishery regulation, maritime crisis management, maritime cooperation and security.

The first round of consultation, held from Tuesday to Wednesday, brought together Chinese officials from the Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, Ministry of Transport, State Oceanic Administration and their Japanese counterparts.

Senior officials from both countries agreed to fully utilize the high-level consultation platform and boost dialogue and communication on maritime issues in various fields.

Beijing and Tokyo also vowed to beef up understanding and mutual trust as well as substantial cooperation.

"Tightening up control on conflicts and disputes" and properly handling related issues are also topics that the two sides plan to discuss, according to Xinhua.

Both nations agreed to hold the second round of consultation in Japan within the second half of the year.

Gao Hong, a Japan studies researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told China Daily that the consultation is a well-established mechanism which involves various governing bodies of both sides for comprehensive participation.

"The final resolution to bilateral maritime issues cannot be achieved overnight, yet both countries are eliminating some stumbling blocks in an effort to create more stable relations and a win-win situation," Gao said.

During Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's state visit to China last December, both countries reached consensus on establishing the China-Japan high-level consultation mechanism on maritime affairs.

"We hope the mechanism will provide a platform for China and Japan to communicate on maritime issues of various dimensions," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Friday.

Beijing also said there is no limitation on the consultation's topics.

The consultation is also an opportunity for both sides to exchange views in the context of recent fluctuations between China and Japan, experts said.

Tension between both sides flared up last month as Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara said his city prefecture is negotiating with the "owner" of the islands in hope of "buying them by the end of this year".

Some media reports in Japan even played up the possibility that the resumption of negotiations on joint oil and gas development would be mentioned at the consultation, but it was not on the agenda.

"Given Tokyo's recent remarks and moves, it has not created ideal conditions to talk about the resumption," Gao said.