History was made when a Chinese missile destroyer sailed into Tokyo harbor on November 28. Shenzhen, with 345 officials and crew onboard, headed by Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian, Vice Chief of Staff of the South China Sea Fleet, became the first warship of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to visit Japan.

In the following four days, a series of exchange programs were conducted in a festive atmosphere that saw Chinese and Japanese naval officials meet, warships opened to the public, a lively performance of the military bands and a keenly contested soccer competition.

"The visit helped strengthen military exchanges between China and Japan and cement the two countries' bonds," said Zhou Yongsheng, a professor specializing in Japanese studies at the China Foreign Affairs University. "It showed that the recent improvement in Sino-Japanese relations is not only exemplified in the political and cultural fields but also in the military field."

Foreign affairs experts gave prominence to the symbolic aspect of this visit, saying that it will contribute to enhancing the mutual trust between China and Japan, neighbors that often find themselves at odds over historical and other issues. At the same time, they expressed the hope to see more substantial military exchanges between the two major East Asian powers.

More symbolic than substantial

Military distrust has been one of the major factors affecting Sino-Japanese relations, Zhou said. China is worried about the resurgence of Japanese militarism, whereas Japan shows concern for China's increasing military expenditure and modernization of its armed forces. Against this backdrop, Zhou believes it is imperative that the two countries military forces strengthen exchanges.

Military exchanges are also important for China from a technical perspective, he said. Japan has distinctive naval technologies and training methods, which China can learn from, he said.

However, the visit of Shenzhen did not achieve much in this sense, Zhou said. Under pressure from Washington, Japan cancelled a tour by the visiting Chinese officials of an advanced Aegis-equipped warship. The Aegis system, developed by the U.S. Navy, is one of the most advanced and most capable defense systems currently in use. As a result, the port call became more of a diplomatic event, he said.

Sino-Japanese military relations hinge on the two countries' political relations, Zhou said. Their military relations can develop only when there is a good political atmosphere. Good military relations, in turn, help promote political ties, he said.

Sino-Japanese political relations have fluctuated alarmingly since the two countries normalized their diplomatic relations in 1972. With Junichiro Koizumi as the Japanese prime minister from 2001 to 2006, these relations hit a low patch because of his frequent visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. The shrine worships Japanese war dead including Class A war criminals from World War II and has long been a source of friction between Japan and its Asian neighbors. Koizumi paid homage to the shrine each year while he was in office, triggering strong protests in China. Given their strained political relations, the two countries' military exchanges stagnated.

After Koizumi stepped down, Sino-Japanese relations seemed to take an upward turn. The then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid an "ice-breaking" visit to China in October last year shortly after he took office. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Japan in April, a visit hailed as an "ice-melting" one by the Chinese media. Abe's successor Yasuo Fukuda, who assumed office in September, has vowed to make the Japan-U.S. alliance and Japan's Asian diplomacy "resonate with each other." Also, top Japanese officials no longer trumpet the concept of "value-oriented diplomacy." These moves are expected to lead to further improvement in Sino-Japanese relations.

At the end of August, China's Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan paid an official good-will visit to Japan, the first for a Chinese defense minister since 1998. Apart from discussing the sensitive Taiwan question, Cao and his Japanese counterpart Masahiko Komura, agreed to enhance defense exchanges to promote mutual trust in their talks. The two defense chiefs reached agreements on a series of defense exchange programs including Japanese defense minister's visit to China next year and a Chinese warship's visit to Japan this year.

The exchange of port calls by warships was initially agreed upon by Chinese and Japanese leaders in 2000. It was postponed later due to the two countries' chilly political relations.

Step by step

Shenzhen's visit to Japan comes at a time when China and Japan celebrated the 35th anniversary of the normalization of their diplomatic relations. China and Japan are both influential countries in Asia, said Wang Baofu, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategic Studies at the National Defense University of the PLA. In contrast to the flourishing international military exchanges today, military exchanges between China and Japan have been infrequent, he added.

This visit therefore not only opened the door to future exchanges of visits of the two countries' warships, but also provoked much thought on their bilateral relations, said Wang. While expanding defense exchanges to inject fresh impetus into the overall development of Sino-Japanese relations, the two countries should attach great importance to enhancing their strategic mutual trust, he said. He suggested the two countries concentrate their efforts on the following three aspects:

First, they should approach history in a "frank and honest" manner. Wang believes that historical issues have exerted greater impact on Sino-Japanese relations than any other issue over the past 35 years. The courage to deal with these issues appropriately is essential to the establishment of a "strategic mutually beneficial relationship" between the two countries, he said.

China and Japan declared their desire to build a strategic mutually beneficial relationship in a joint press statement issued in October last year.

Second, they should face up to reality. The two countries are embroiled in conflicts over a number of issues, including territorial disputes over some islands and the demarcation of the East China Sea. Regarding these divergences as normal in international relations, Wang said the two countries should seek solutions through sincere dialogue with a "pragmatic attitude."

Third, they should look to the future. China and Japan should set aside their differences and pave the way for long-term stable development of bilateral relations, he said.

Following Shenzhen's visit, more bilateral exchanges are expected to take place, Wang said. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force will pay a return visit to China, and Chinese President Hu Jintao will visit Japan next year. These moves will have positive implications not only for the two countries but also for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large, he said.

Echoing Wang's views, Zhou pointed out that improved military relations between China and Japan will have a favorable effect on highly charged issues including the situation across the Taiwan Straits, the relations between South Korea and North Korea and marine safety in Southeast Asia.

However, China and Japan still confront barriers as they improve military exchanges. Political relations remain a major cause for concern, Zhou said, adding that there is still a long way to go before their positive implications are realized.

Asked about his expectations for the scheduled visit of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, Zhou said he hoped Japan sends over its most sophisticated warships.