China, Japan premiers agree hotline after naval incidents

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TOKYO, May 31 (AFP): The premiers of China and Japan agreed Monday to set up a hotline following a series of tense naval incidents, and to resume formal talks on jointly exploring offshore gas and oil fields.
Japan and China, the world's second- and third-biggest economies, are rivals for resources and have competing claims to parts of the East China Sea.
Premier Wen Jiabao met his Japanese counterpart Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo weeks after Chinese naval helicopters twice buzzed Japanese destroyers, and a Chinese marine survey ship pursued a Japanese coastguard vessel.
"Our prime minister said the recent Chinese activities near Japan had raised concerns," a Japanese foreign ministry official said following the talks.
Hatoyama had "requested that such actions never be repeated," said the official, who asked not to be named, adding that Wen had offered no reply.
"The two sides agreed to set up a hotline so that telephone conversations can be made without any delay. The Chinese side said they always want to exchange views on important subjects."
The new hotline would be between political leaders, not defence chiefs.