Japan and Australia Agree to Sign Military Pact

The military pact that Japan and Australia agreed upon will facilitate a closer military connection between them. (WikiCommons)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison reached an agreement on a bilateral defense pact after an in-person meeting in Tokyo on November 17. This pact, called the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), will strengthen the military ties between the two countries as China tries to expand its role in the Asia-Pacific region.

Suga has aimed to strengthen ties with China’s neighboring countries to advance the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy since his inauguration in September in the face of China’s aggressive moves. He visited Vietnam and Indonesia for his first overseas trip as prime minister in October, saying that this trip was “a valuable first step” to realize the strategy.

China-Australia relations have become increasingly turbulent ever since Morrison called for an investigation into the origin of COVID-19. In retaliation, China imposed a range of trade restrictions against Australian products, including barley and coal, while Australia sought closer partnerships with other Indo-Pacific countries to counter China.

The pact, if signed, will remove the legal barrier for each countries’ troops to easily enter the other country for joint training and quick operations in a crisis. Suga expressed at a joint press conference that this pact would “elevate security and defense cooperation between Japan and Australia to a new level.”

This agreement marks a milestone in Japan’s post-war history, as Japan has not signed a pact that allows foreign military presence on its soil ever since Japan signed the Status of Forces Agreement with the United States in 1960. The conclusion of this agreement is a “pivotal moment in the history of Japan-Australia ties,” Morrison said.

In a joint statement released on that day, the two prime ministers expressed strong opposition to “any coercive or unilateral attempts to change the status quo and thereby increase the tension” in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.

In response to the agreement, the Chinese government, through an unofficial media outlet, warned Japan and Australia of “some sort of countermeasures.” It then criticized the two countries by calling them tools manipulated by the United States. Chinese state-owned media also warned that the countries will “pay a corresponding price” if this pact threatens China’s security.

Analysts assert that this agreement will send a clear message to the wider region that Japan is prepared to work with Australia and other nations on security issues. Suga and Morrison are expected to formally sign the pact in Australia next year.