Australia, Japan to sign defence pact

CANBERRA: Australia and Japan will sign a “historic” treaty that will further strengthen defence and security cooperation during a virtual leaders’ summit today, in a move that could further inflame tensions with China.

The agreement is the first of its type for Japan, other than with the US and the UN, and marks a step closer in a relationship that is often referred to as a “quasi alliance”.

The signing of a Reciprocal Access Agreement will underpin greater and more complex practical engagement between the Australian Defence Force and the Japanese Self-Defence Force, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in an emailed statement. The pact will provide a clear framework for enhanced interoperability 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 IndoPacific,” 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 crippling tariffs on Australian barley and wine.

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.