If the sound and stable relations that exist between China and Japan at this point in the 21st Century are to be further nurtured, it will be essential to have exchange in the field of national security and mutual trust. On the basis of an agreement to continue the program of exchange between national defense representatives through the private sector for ten years, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation has, since 2001, arranged visits to China and Japan for field officers from the respective country's defense forces. The second phase of this program began in 2006. In this program, the China Institute for International Strategic Studies in China sends persons involved in national defense, mainly field-grade soldiers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), to Japan in order to undergo training. On the Japan side, the Ministry of Defense is responsible for arranging the dispatch of Japanese officers from the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to China. During the training sessions, participants visit military bases, attend lectures on national defense policy, and take part in open discussions of various issues of interest. This training is coupled with education in the history, society and culture of the host country, as a means to resolve misperceptions and concerns while promoting mutual understanding.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the exchange project. To commemorate this occasion, events will be held in both Japan and China during the exchange visits. As in previous years, the China Institute for International Strategic Studies in China will select and dispatch groups of trainees to Japan, while in Japan the International Policy Division, Defense Policy Bureau, Ministry of Defense will make arrangements for dispatching Japanese officers for training in China. As part of the exchange, the groups will visit air, sea and land units, military education facilities, companies, agricultural communities, high ranking military officials, and places of cultural interest. Relevant project activities are as follows.

• Preparations for reciprocal training visits：
  Project officers in Japan and China will investigate the content of the training and conduct briefing sessions for those who will participate in the training.
• Training and inspections in China
  
  • Participants: Fifteen individuals active in the security field, mostly officers from the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), plus various experts and SPF Program Officers.
  • China visit schedule: Ten days in the first two weeks of June
  • Sites for inspection: Air, sea and land units, military education facilities, agricultural communities, schools, places of historical interest, and other locations in Beijing and Central China.
• Training and exchange in Japan
  
  • Participants: Twenty field-grade soldiers from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), persons involved with the China Institute for International Strategic Studies and national defense.
  • Japan visit schedule: Ten days in the latter half of August
  • Sites for inspection: The Ministry of Defense, the National Institute for Defense Studies, the National Defense Academy of Japan, JGSDF-, JMSDF- and JASDF-related facilities, private corporations, agricultural communities, sites of historical and cultural interest, and other locations.
  • The exchange activities and results will be publicized in both countries through various media including the website of the Sasakawa Japan-China Friendship Fund.
• Publications:
  Documentation describing the results of the exchange activities will be created and published.