Home GRASP GRASP/Japan Australia, Japan eye closer military ties

Australia, Japan eye closer military ties

77
0
SHARE

While the North Korean threat loomed large, a meeting between the prime ministers of Japan and Australia in Tokyo yesterday bore the undercurrents of China’s growing sphere of influence and doubts over the United States’ commitment in the region..
While the North Korean threat loomed large, a meeting between the prime ministers of Japan and Australia in Tokyo yesterday bore the undercurrents of China’s growing sphere of influence and doubts over the United States’ commitment in the region.
These factors, observers said, have pushed Tokyo and Canberra closer together militarily as they seek to ensure a “free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region” based on a “rules-based order”.
The two nations, described as “special strategic partners” or “quasi-allies”, yesterday vowed the early fruition of a pivotal security pact that will enable their troops to train on each other’s soil.
They also pledged to urge the other nine nations in a mega Asia-Pacific trade pact – which replaces the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) scuttled by the US’ withdrawal – to ink the deal by March as planned. Singapore is among the countries involved in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TPP (CPTPP).
During his one-day trip, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited a military training base outside Tokyo, viewed a Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missile interceptor and climbed on board an Australia-made armoured vehicle used in Japan. He also sat in on a National Security Council meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.
Both leaders cautioned against being overly optimistic that the two Koreas are now back on talking terms to secure North Korea’s participation at the Pyeongchang Games next month.

Continue reading...