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Japan, Australia sign new security cooperation declaration

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Saturday sign a joint declaration to deepen their countries' security cooperation. (AFP)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Saturday sign a joint declaration to deepen their countries' security cooperation. (AFP)
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22 Oct 2022 08:10:24 GMT9
22 Oct 2022 08:10:24 GMT9

Perth, Australia: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on Saturday signed a joint declaration to deepen their countries’ security cooperation, bearing in mind China’s hegemonic ambitions.

The two countries “will consult each other on contingencies that may affect our sovereignty and regional security interests, and consider measures in response,” said the declaration, signed at a meeting in Perth, western Australia.

The declaration is “a compass showing the direction of the bilateral security and defense cooperation for the coming 10 years,” Kishida told a joint news conference with Albanese.

“We’ve shared the view that the special strategic partnership between Japan and Australia has risen to a new level,” he added.

“Our commitment to consult each other on contingencies is a natural step in our efforts to support the security and stability of our region,” Albanese said.

The new document followed the previous declaration signed in March 2007 by then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

The 2007 declaration focused on cooperation in fights against terrorism, international peacekeeping activities and efforts to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. It contained no passages that had China in mind.

The latest declaration newly referred to possible joint responses to contingencies, elevating the two countries’ security relationship to that of quasi-allies.

The declaration did not directly mention China, but it underlined the commitment of Japan and Australia to realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, with China’s assertive behavior in mind.

According to the document, the two countries will hold meetings of their top leaders and foreign and defense ministers annually.

Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and Australia’s military will deepen cooperation in the areas of mutual use of facilities, asset protection, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, humanitarian assistance and advanced defense science and technology, the declaration said.

The declaration also mentioned the importance of strengthening cooperation among three countries also including the United States.

The declaration called for cooperation in the areas of cyberspace and space and for work to build stronger supply chains.

Also included were joint efforts toward a world without nuclear weapons, which Kishida aims to achieve.

At Saturday’s meeting, Kishida and Albanese agreed to beef up the Quad framework involving the two countries, the United States and India.

The leaders also confirmed that Australia will continue to supply food and energy, including liquefied natural gas, to Japan in a stable way amid soaring prices of such items worsened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The two sides agreed to enhance supply chains for rare-earth and other important minerals.

Australia supplies about 40 pct of Japan’s LNG imports and 60 pct of iron ore imports. Perth is a key export base for the resources.

Kishida and Albanese also released a statement condemning Russia’s threat to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine as “a serious and unacceptable menace to the peace and security of the international community.”

JIJI Press

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