U.S., Australia, and Japan to boost military ties

The defense ministers of Australia, Japan, and the US have agreed to advance military cooperation in the face of China’s growing ambitions.

• The defense ministerial meeting between Japan, the United States and Australia was the first since they met in Singapore in June on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.
• It was also the first since Hamada assumed his post in August.

Key-points discussed during the Meet

• Japan, Australia, and the United States have pledged to bolster trilateral cooperation.
• This will align their security strategies amid growing tensions with China, Russia, and North Korea.
• Australia is also working on a defense deal with the US to get a nuclear-powered submarine.
  
  
  

Concerns:

• Beijing considers ‘Taiwan’ to be part of China.
• China claims the thin and busy channel of water that separates China and Taiwan.
• Earlier China has also conducted a ballistic missile launches across the Taiwan Strait. A few of those missiles fell into Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
• China is also conducting large-scale military drills in response.
• Beijing opposes official contact between the self-ruled island and the United States.

Significance of Military Ties:

• This will facilitate cooperation in defense equipment, technology, and information gathering.
• The military tie will also help to deal with a rapidly worsening security situation affected by the actions and strategies of China, North Korea, and Russia.
• It would be Japan's first change to its long-term security and diplomacy policy guidelines since 2013.
• Nuclear-powered submarines are likely to give Australia the ability to operate more stealthily in the region.
• Also, armed with sophisticated cruise missile capabilities the trio will pose much more of a deterrent to Beijing.