Page 218 - 2020 Defence White Paper

which were all held in 2019.
By agreeing to senior military personnel exchanges, regular meetings such as
strategic defense dialogues and defense policy talks, unit exchanges between
military services, repatriation of Chinese soldiers’ remains, academic conferences
between military research agencies, mutual education programs between education
institutions, and to promote the connection of additional hotlines through a revision
of the Navy and Air Force Hotline MOU at the 18th defense policy working-level
talks in January 2020, the defense authorities of the two countries are promoting
national defense exchanges and cooperation in a more substantial manner.
To prevent accidental collisions from Chinese military aircraft’s entry into the
Korea Air Defense Identif cation one (KADI ), the defense authorities of the ROK
and China are having dialogue and sharing necessary information through hotlines
established between the two countries’ Navy and Air Force. As such, communication
between the two sides is expected to be further strengthened.
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, defense exchanges
and cooperation between the two countries are facing a new situation as well
as challenges. Nonetheless, the defense authorities of the ROK and China will
strengthen their strategic communication to enhance the "strategic cooperative

partnership". Through continuous promotion of defense exchanges and cooperation
at various levels and in diverse fields–such as the 7th Chinese soldiers’ remains
repatriation ceremony, a friendly cooperation project between the two countries,
in September 2020–the two countries will continue to contribute to the stable
development of bilateral relations and the establishment of peace and stability on the
Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

Defense Exchanges
and Cooperation with Japan

Japan is a neighboring country that the
ROK should cooperate not only for
bilateral relations but also for peace
and prosperity in Northeast Asia and
the world. ROK–Japan Defense Ministerial Talks
(November 2019)
The ROK and Japan have regularly
held bilateral Defense Ministerial Meetings since 1994, and established the
foundation for defense exchanges and cooperation in 2009 by signing the Letter
of Intent on Defense Exchanges between the ROK and Japan at the 14th Defense

2020 Defense White Paper