Tokyo, 22 October, /AJMEDIA/
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese held a summit meeting in Perth on Saturday with a view to boosting security cooperation between the two Asia-Pacific countries amid China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
During their talks in the state capital of Western Australia, Kishida and Albanese are also set to confirm the necessity of stable resource supply from Australia to Japan, which depends on imports for more than 90 percent of its energy needs.
Kishida, who is on a three-day visit to Australia from Friday, and Albanese are expected to issue a joint declaration underscoring the significance of a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” a vision advocated by slain former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Ahead of the trip to Perth, Kishida told reporters at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Friday, “For Japan, Australia is an important nation with which we share universal values such as freedom and democracy as well as strategic interests” and cooperate on energy security.
Japan imports natural gas, iron ore and other key resources from Australia.
Japan regards Australia as a semi-ally, and both countries are part of the “Quad,” or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which also involves India and the United States. The four-way framework was also proposed by Abe, who was fatally shot in early July.
Tokyo and Canberra have been considering steps to implement a bilateral reciprocal access agreement signed in January, aimed at facilitating the deployment of troops in each other’s nation for joint drills and relief operations.
Japan has not struck such a deal with other countries than the United States. The enforcement of the pact would serve as a foothold for an integrated security operation of Japan, Australian and the United States in anticipation of an emergency surrounding Taiwan.
China has been attempting to bolster its security and economic clout in the region, efforts often seen as a challenge by Quad countries to their “free and open Indo-Pacific” blueprint, while President Xi Jinping repeatedly describes self-ruled democratic Taiwan as Beijing’s “core interest” that should be reunited by force, if necessary.
China also has been trying to increase its influence on Pacific island nations. It signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands earlier this year, an arrangement that would allow the deployment of Chinese police, military and other armed personnel to the country.
Kishida’s visit to Australia is the first by a Japanese prime minister since 2018. He had planned to visit Australia in January, but the trip was canceled against a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kishida became premier in October 2021.
Albanese visited Japan in May immediately after taking office. In late September, he also made a trip to Tokyo to participate in Abe’s state funeral.
