By Chen Yang
When answering a question about a bilateral security agreement recently signed by the Japanese and Australian governments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at the regular press conference on October 24 that, "the Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, still less groupings that could provoke bloc confrontation or stoke a new Cold War. People in the region will be on heightened alert and stand against any act that undermines regional peace and stability and hurts regional solidarity and cooperation".
Asahi Shinbun reported on October 23 that Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida held talks with his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese in Australia the day before, and they released a new joint declaration on security cooperation 15 years after the previous one. The two countries have had frequent interactions recently. On May 24, 2022, just one day after he was sworn in, Albanese flew to Tokyo for the Japan-Australia-India-US (QUAD) Leaders' Meeting, during which he had one-on-one talks with Kishida. They then both attended the NATO summit in June. In September, Albanese flew to Tokyo again for former prime minister Shinzo Abe's funeral and talked with Kishida.
Sankei Shimbun commented on Kishida's recent visit to Australia that it is not only his first visit to the country since taking office in October 2021 but also an answer to Albanese's earlier visit in order to build a friendly personal relationship. Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center of East China Normal University, said Fumio Kishida originally planned to visit Australia in January 2022 but had to postpone it because of COVID-19. Seeing adjustments in Canberra's domestic and foreign policies after the election in May, he decided to pay the visit now partly to reaffirm bilateral relations. Canberra's choice of Perth, a western city by the Indian Ocean, as the site of the meeting is highly symbolic – it implies the Japan-Australia relationship is in the service of America's Indo-Pacific strategy.
Japanese media believed Japan and Australia are one step closer to becoming "quasi allies", citing the new joint declaration on security cooperation, which is a highlight of Kishida's Australia visit. According to Chen Hong, the signing of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) early this year and the release of the new joint declaration now have cleared the way for Australia to interfere in Northeast Asian affairs and for Japan to enhance its influence in South Pacific via Australia. Their next steps are worth close attention.
Both Japan and Australia are America’s allies in the Asia Pacific. In recent years, they have taken an active part in supporting the Big Brother’s strategic deployments in the region, either joining the US-led small circles or throwing their weight around on America’s back or organizing the so-called joint military exercises, which have seriously undermined regional peace and stability.
Chen Hong attributed the intensified Japan-Australia cooperation based on the Indo-Pacific strategy to America’s influence. Australia is a member of both the Five Eyes and the AUKUS, two organizations that Japan is barred from joining directly by its domestic laws. However, by deepening its defense relation with Australia, Japan can indirectly get one foot in these two small circles infused with Cold War mentality and ideological confrontation, in hopes of raising its position in America’s Asia-Pacific strategy. This will in a way expand the Five Eyes alliance and the AUKUS, which doesn’t bode well for peace and stability in the Asian Pacific region.
Editor's note: Originally published on haiwainet.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
