China and Japan announced plans on November 27 to hold their first joint military exercises. The agreement is the latest step in the Asian neighbors’ transition from an era of mutual suspicion into a stage of heightened cooperation.

Japanese Defense Minster Toshimi Kitazawa and his Chinese counterpart, Liang Guanglie, agreed that their countries would hold a joint naval drill for search and rescue operations. Beijing and Tokyo also agreed to future talks about joint training in disaster relief projects and humanitarian operations.

The joint exercises will be held next year, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.

Kitazawa also agreed to pay a return visit to China next year, and, in further efforts to bolster their ties, the two sides said they would hold regular meetings between military leaders. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces is scheduled to send training squadrons to China next year for exchanges.

At a news conference, Kitazawa said, “I strongly believe that the agreement between China and Japan to conduct a joint rescue drill at sea clearly indicates tremendous progress in mutual understanding and trust between the two countries.”

But Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is urging China to increase the openness of the Communist giant’s ballooning military spending.

In a press release, Hatoyama told Liang that China’s military budget has increased “by two digits every year,” and he urged Beijing to “enhance its transparency more than ever.”

In 2009, China’s official military budget will grow to 480.7 billion yuan (us$70.41 billion), which is up 14.9 percent from the 2008 figure. For the last two years, China has announced defense budget increases of more than 17 percent.

Hatoyama’s concerns suggest that, beyond the substantial military buildup that China makes known to the world, there are additional increases happening behind the scenes. If Tokyo, which is on the fast track to allegiance with Beijing, is concerned about the clandestine defense buildup in China, the West should be sobered.

In 2005, Trumpet columnist Brad Macdonald wrote:

Japan is extremely concerned about China’s military buildup. Tensions between these two will probably continue for a short while. As long as America’s military might exceeds that of China, Japan will align with the U.S. But as the American economy and military weaken, watch for Japan to sever its ties with the U.S. and form a strong alliance with Russia and China.

In spite of Japan’s present concerns, it is forging ahead with its first-ever joint military exercises with China. Japan’s shift away from the U.S. and toward China is well underway.

The Plain Truth magazine, forerunner to the Trumpet, foretold the alliance between China and Japan years ago. An article in the February 1963 edition said, “There is an utter inevitability of the ultimate tie-up between Japan and Red China! The big question is how long China will remain ‘Red’ and survive without a tie-up with Japanese capitalism.”

China today is not as “Red” as it once was, and its relationship with Japan and other Asian powers is rapidly warming.

The day Japan’s new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama took office, U.S. and Japanese officials confirmed that discussions were underway to remove all U.S. fighter aircraft from Japan. In the few months since then, the distance between Japan and the U.S. has increased with surprising speed.

For an in-depth study of the quickly changing tides in the East, and the hope-filled truth about what is ahead, read Russia and China in Prophecy.