Future Possibility of Military Cooperation between Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Japanese Self-Defence Force
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Chun Kwang-Ho 
Published: June 2018

China and Japan had a bitter history of conflict from 1931 to 1945 and have had no close relationship in the military field since 1945. In this paper, the military cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries is analysed as a great driver to mitigate their hostility or rivalry by the analytic frame of military security theory.
China and Japan have developed into leading countries in the international society but in different ways. China has transformed its economic system so as to meet modern global requirements while the form of government based on socialism has been maintained. Japan has become one of the first class countries by its economic advance while its security has been relied on the US-Japan security alliance. While both countries have developed their national status respectively during the Cold War, the political relationship between them has on occasion worsened. That has been one of causes of the political tensions in the region. Both countries, however, realise their responsibilities for easing the regional tensions and contributing to peace and stability not only in Asia but also in the world as stakeholders in the international society. Regarding their recent security policies, there are certain changes in their ways of committing to the regional and international affairs. China develops its peaceful approach in the global society under the perception that it is necessary for its economic growth to receive international assistance. Japan gradually shifts its national policy from economic-centred to a comprehensive one with the notion that it should more contribute to international society as a trade nation which essentially needs the stability in the world.
Under such policy shifts, both countries have sought to strengthening their strategic partnership in recent years. This tendency, as a matter of fact, reflects in the military circle of China and Japan. There are certain progresses to create cooperative mood in the field of military. Although they are still suspicious of each other, both military personnel should attempt to develop their military ties by degrees. There are, of course, some opinions against the cooperative mood between PLA and SDF. According to one critic, China makes full use of the military cooperation between PLA and SDF as a demonstration of a peaceful image of PLA. It is, however, certain that PLA and SDF made a first step for confidence-building, despite the military cooperation connotes several hidden political aims. It is no doubt to develop their mutual understanding through frequent interchanges. The important thing is to have a series of visible cooperation between PLA and SDF in order for the personnel to remove their emotions of distrust of each other which have been generated by many years of hostile circumstance surrounding both countries. Such tiny changes might gradually foster the confidence-building in both countries and dispel the antagonism between them little by little. As analysed in this paper, the military cooperation between PLA and SDF could allow both countries to promote their own security and also contribute to regional and international peace and stability. There are many options to enhance PLA-SDF reliance. Through various ways, they have to make efforts to make every level of soldiers understood the importance of strengthening PLA-SDF mutual trust.
A military cooperation is one of military means for achieving non-military goals and could be a powerful enabler for China and Japan to foster their overall strategic partnership. The paper examines their views and the history about the military cooperation between the Chinese People’s Liberal Army (PLA) and the Japanese Self Defence Force (SDF). As a result, several effects and a series of possible and effective military cooperation between PLA and SDF are analysed.