Japan and China have launched a defense hotline designed to prevent accidental clashes between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Chinese military.

The Japanese and Chinese governments announced the launch on Friday after completion of the dedicated line. They say the link will be used by senior officials of the countries when necessary.

Tokyo and Beijing started operating a communications mechanism to prevent accidental clashes at sea or in the air in June 2018.

As part of the measure, they established annual meetings and promoted exchanges between their units in the field. But the launch of the hotline had yet to be realized.
The countries initially aimed to start its operation in 2022, but the plan was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and other factors.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to accelerate the launch when they met last November.

Japan's Defense Ministry said the hotline will allow the two sides to communicate with enhanced information security.

The ministry added that the hotline will help in building trust between defense officials of Japan and China, and avoiding accidental clashes.