Japan, Australia vow to deepen defense cooperation
Foreign and defence ministers from Japan and Australia on Friday agreed to deepen defence cooperation between the two countries to counter China's growing military threat in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
Japan and Australia will develop cooperation to strengthen joint deterrence, the ministers said in a joint statement.
The ministers agreed that foreign and defence officials from the two sides will step up discussions on threats from Russia and North Korea, in addition to China.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Defence Minister Gen Nakatani from the Japanese side, and their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles.
The two sides welcomed Australia's decision to introduce a warship based on an upgraded version of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force's Mogami-class frigate, a vessel capable of carrying common equipment with the US military.
The Japanese and Australian ministers agreed to improve the interoperability of forces from the two countries, plus the United States.
Australia's introduction of the new frigate "will help deepen Japan-Australia defence cooperation," Nakatani said at a joint press conference after the meeting.
Japan views Australia as a quasi-ally. The four ministers said in the statement that the two countries are the core of coordination among like-minded nations. Japan and Australia have the intention and capability to play a leading role in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, they said.
The four ministers expressed opposition to China's unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force. While stressing the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, they condemned military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
Nakatani and Marles separately visited the Mikuma, a Mogami-class frigate, at the Japanese MSDF's base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
