Australia, Japan to sign defence pact that might irk China
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(From left) JMSDF ships Teruzuki and Asahi sailing with Royal Australian Navy ships Brisbane and Warramunga in the Philippine Sea on Nov 21, 2021.
PHOTO: US PACIFIC FLEET/FACEBOOK
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SYDNEY (BLOOMBERG) - Australia and Japan will sign a historic treaty that will further strengthen defence and security cooperation during a virtual leaders' summit on Thursday (Jan 6), in a move that could further inflame tensions with China.
The agreement is the first of its type for Japan, other than with the United States and the United Nations, and marks a step closer in a relationship that is often referred to as a quasi alliance.
The signing of a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) will underpin greater and more complex practical engagement between the Australian Defence Force and the Japanese Self-Defence Force, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. The pact will provide a clear framework for enhanced inter-operability and cooperation, he added.
"This treaty will be a statement of our two nations' commitment to work together in meeting the shared strategic security challenges we face and to contribute to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific," Mr Morrison said.
Under Mr Morrison's watch, Australia's relations with China – its largest trading partner – have nosedived in the wake of his government's call in 2020 for independent investigators to enter Wuhan to probe the origins of the coronavirus.
Beijing inflicted a range of trade reprisals, including tariffs on Australian barley and wine, while blocking coal shipments.
Japan's ties with China have also turned chilly over Beijing's clampdown on Hong Kong and concerns are growing about tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
"We share with Australia the basic values of freedom and democracy," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Wednesday.
The two leaders plan to discuss matters of mutual concern at their virtual meeting, including national security, the economy and regional affairs, in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, he added.
The two countries had reached a basic agreement on the RAA in 2020 and had faced stumbling blocks, including concern that Australian troops found guilty of serious crimes could be subject to the death penalty in Japan.
Australia also signed a strategic defence pact last year with Britain and the US that will enable the country to build nuclear-powered submarines, a move that China said would fuel an arms race in the region.
Cooperation under the new Australia-Japan pact includes an expanding agenda for the Quad grouping with India and the US, and shared technology-led approach to reducing carbon emissions, Mr Morrison said.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Tuesday that he had been seeking an in-person summit with Mr Morrison, but had set the plan aside in order to focus on dealing with the latest surge in virus cases.
