From December 17 to 18, 2018, the 10th round of High-level Consultation on Maritime Affairs between China and Japan was held in Wuzhen of Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. Departments of China including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Office of Foreign Affairs of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, National Energy Administration, China Geological Survey, China Coast Guard, and Chinese Academy of Sciences, and departments of Japan including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet Office, the Fisheries Agency, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, the Japan Coast Guard, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Defense respectively sent officials to attend.

The two sides held the plenary session of the consultation mechanism and the meetings of four working groups under the mechanism on politics and law, maritime defense, maritime law enforcement and security, and maritime economy, exchanging views on relevant issues concerning the East China Sea, and discussing ways of conducting maritime cooperation.

I. The two sides agreed to take the 40th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship as an opportunity to promote practical cooperation in maritime field on the basis of the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries on making the East China Sea a sea of peace, cooperation and friendship.

II. The two sides welcomed the air and sea liaison mechanism between the Defense Ministries of China and Japan officially initiated in this June and exchanged views on the early establishment and opening of a direct telephone under this mechanism. The two sides expressed their welcome for the active development trend of bilateral communication on defense affairs, and exchanged views on the implementation of consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and the two Defense Ministries and on the promotion of exchanges in defense affairs.

III. The two sides exchanged views on maritime scientific investigation and confirmed to obey the previously notified frameworks for maritime scientific investigation of the two sides. Both sides are also willing to maintain communication on relevant matters.

IV. The two sides agreed to take the signing of China-Japan Maritime Search and Rescue Agreement during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China this October as an opportunity to continuously advance the cooperation in maritime search and rescue. China Maritime Search and Rescue Center and the Japan Coast Guard have confirmed the contact approaches when China-Japan Maritime Search and Rescue Agreement comes into effect and have confirmed to facilitate information exchanges and joint training. The two sides also agreed that China Maritime Search and Rescue Center and the Japan Coast Guard will continue carrying out smooth and efficient cooperation on maritime search and rescue and exchanged views on advancing cooperation between the two departments in the future.

V. The two sides agreed that China Coast Guard and the Japan Coast Guard will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation in bilateral and multilateral fields.

VI. The two sides confirmed that they will further strengthen fishery cooperation through dialogues and communication in a bid to promote stable and sound development of the fishery industry.

VII. The two sides agreed to hold the second China-Japan Experts Dialogue Platform Meeting on Marine Debris Cooperation and the second China-Japan Marine Debris Seminar next year in Japan, and to implement joint investigation of marine debris in China as well as reinforce exchanges and cooperation in this field. Both sides also reached consensus on actively promoting practical cooperation in dealing with marine debris under bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

VIII. The two sides exchanged views on collaborative research in the field of marine geology, and reached consensus on strengthening communication.

IX. The two sides made meaningful exchanges over the arctic policy and agreed to strengthen communication and promote practical cooperation to this end.

Ⅹ. The two sides welcomed the cooperation and dialogues between sea-related think-tanks of the two countries as well as agreed to establish cooperative relations between governments and think-tanks, and promote exchanges in relevant fields, so as to further push maritime cooperation between the two countries.

XI. The two sides confirmed to adhere to the principles and consensus made in 2008 concerning the East China Sea issue and agreed to further strengthen communication and exchanges.

XII. The two sides agreed in principle to hold the 11th round of China-Japan High-level Consultation on Maritime Affairs in Japan in the first half of the next year.