Australia & Japan sign 'landmark' agreement to bolster defence cooperation in Indo-Pacific

Australia and Japan have signed a new pact to strengthen defence cooperation between their militaries. The 'Reciprocal Access Agreement' has been signed by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during a virtual summit on Thursday, 6 January. The security accord between the two countries comes amid China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. 

The defence treaty between Canberra and Tokyo was in talks for over a year. After the United States, Australia is the first country to have a defence agreement with Japan, AP reported. The Reciprocal Access Agreement will allow the Australian Defence Force and the Japan Self-Defense Forces to have activities such as joint exercises and disaster relief operations. The agreement will also help to improve the interoperability and capability of the Australian and Japanese forces. Japanese PM Kishida termed the pact with Australia as a “landmark” and further underscored that it will help them to “elevate the security cooperation between the two nations to new heights," as per the AP report.  

Morrison calls Japan its 'closest partner in Asia'

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Japan its “closest partner in Asia” and termed the pact a “pivotal moment” for the security of both countries. Morrison highlighted the trust between the two countries and their commitment to the “rule of law, human rights and open Indo-Pacific.” 

He underlined that the agreement with Japan will help in the formation of the response of both the countries to the “uncertainty” they face. Morrison added that the agreement will help to “underpin greater and more complex engagement inoperability between the Australia Defense Force and Japan Self-Defense Forces.”

Kishida & Morrison express concern over East China Sea conflict

During the virtual summit, the two leaders highlighted the role that the two countries will be playing in "realising a free and open Indo-Pacific," according to the joint statement. Both sides raised concerns over the situation in the East China Sea and expressed "strong opposition" to any destabilising actions that seek to increase tensions in the region.

The two leaders welcomed the growing quadrilateral cooperation between Japan, Australia, India and the United States. Kishida and Morrison highlighted the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The Australian PM and his counterpart expressed concerns about reports of human rights abuses against Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation on cyber and critical technology.

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)