Canberra
\nJapan and Australia on Thursday signed a \u201clandmark\u201d treaty to strengthen defence ties, saying the accord would contribute to regional stability, as China expands its military and economic clout.
\nWhile Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not mention Beijing directly in a statement released ahead of the signing, the agreement is seen as another step by the regional allies to signal their concern over China\u2019s military expansion.
\nAhead of Thursday\u2019s online summit with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, Morrison called the agreement \u201ca statement of two nations\u2019 commitment to work together in meeting the shared strategic security challenges we face and to contribute to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific\u201d.
\n\u201cThis landmark treaty will… for the first time provide a clear framework for enhanced inter-operability and cooperation between our two forces,\u201d Morrison said.
\nThe partnership reflects \u201cour shared values, our commitment to democracy and human rights, and our common interests in a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific\u201d, he added.
\nJapan and Australia, along with the United States and India, are part of the \u201cQuad\u201d grouping that has worked to build an alliance in the face of China\u2019s swelling presence across Asia, including its threats to vital international sea lanes.
\nAli Wyne, senior analyst at Eurasia Group, said the treaty could enhance Tokyo and Canberra\u2019s ability to carry out joint military exercises in Japan with the United States.
\nIt \u201cgoes a considerable way towards concretising the forms that security cooperation between Japan and Australia could take\u201d, he told AFP.
\n\u201cChina will likely cast it as further evidence that advanced industrial democracies seek to stymie its resurgence, although Beijing\u2019s own conduct in recent years has contributed considerably to its growing diplomatic estrangement from those countries,\u201d Wyne added.
\nWhen asked about the treaty at a regular briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said \u201cthe Pacific Ocean is vast enough for the common development of countries in the region\u201d.
\n\u201cState-to-state exchanges and cooperation should be conducive to enhancing mutual understanding and trust among countries in the region and safeguarding regional peace and stability, rather than targeting or undermining the interests of any third party,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe hope that the Pacific will be an ocean of peace, not a place to make waves.\u201d
\nJapan\u2019s defence spending has been increasing steadily for a decade and the country\u2019s draft 2022-23 budget includes a record figure for the military.
\nTokyo\u2019s defence ministry says the regional security situation is becoming \u201cincreasingly severe at an unprecedented speed\u201d, noting challenges posed by China and North Korea.
\nWyne said Thursday\u2019s treaty also underscores the momentum of the Quad, which held its first in-person summit in Washington in September.
\nAlso in September, the United States, Britain and Australia announced they had formed a new alliance — AUKUS — under which Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines using US technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Canberra Japan and Australia on Thursday signed a \u201clandmark\u201d treaty to strengthen defence ties, saying the accord would contribute to regional stability, as China expands its military and economic clout. While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison did not mention Beijing directly in a statement released ahead of the signing, the agreement is seen as another […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-237282","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n