(MENAFN) A delegation from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) began a nine-day exchange visit to China on Wednesday, as both countries aim to maintain stable bilateral relations, according to reports.

The group of around 10 personnel will hold discussions with officials from the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, a think tank affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army. The delegation will also tour Chinese military facilities in Beijing, Hubei, and Guangdong provinces.

The visit follows a summit last Friday in Gyeongju, South Korea, where Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed a shared interest in stable and mutually beneficial relations. Earlier, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Malaysia, agreeing to promote dialogue and exchanges at various levels.

The JSDF–PLA exchange program has been in place since 2001. Earlier this year, a Chinese military delegation visited Japan, while a planned July visit was canceled due to scheduling conflicts. That cancellation occurred amid heightened tensions, including near encounters between Chinese fighter jets and Japanese aircraft over the Pacific, and a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer’s transit through the Taiwan Strait in June.

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