Japan, Australia Sign Defense Pact Enabling Joint Measures During ‘Contingencies’

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L) shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during their meeting in Tokyo on Sept. 27, 2022. Japan Pool Via Jiji Press/Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images

Japan and Australia have signed a joint security pact allowing them to consult on “contingencies” that threaten their national security interests amid growing concerns over China–Taiwan tensions.

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, signed a joint declaration (pdf) in Perth on Saturday, which is an updated version of a declaration signed between their predecessors in 2007.

“Japan regards Australia as a special strategic partner that forms the core within the cooperation by the like-minded countries of Japan, Australia, India, and the United States,” Kishida said in a statement a day before the meeting.

The latest joint declaration states the two nations “will consult with each other on contingencies” that threaten their sovereignty and regional security interests, and “consider measures in response.”

They vowed to boost exchanges of strategic assessments at all levels, “including through annual reciprocal leaders’ meetings, foreign and defense ministers’ meetings, dialogues between senior officials, and intelligence cooperation.”

Bolstering US Cooperation

The declaration also includes reinforcing their alliances with the United States, which are viewed as “critical pillars” for the two nations’ security, as well as the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific.

“Deepening trilateral cooperation with the United States is critical to enhancing our strategic alignment, policy coordination, interoperability, and joint capability,” the declaration says.

The two nations aim to “deepen practical cooperation and further enhance interoperability” between their armed forces through joint exercises, multilateral exercises with partners, and mutual use of facilities.

Albanese said the updated joint declaration will serve as “a compass for our security cooperation for the next decade” and accelerate their efforts to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“The Australia-Japan relationship is unique and of benefit to the whole region given our shared values and interests,” he said in a statement.

While China was not mentioned in the updated joint declaration, the move appeared to be in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) growing military presence in the region and provocations against Taiwan.

Shingo Yamagami, the Japanese ambassador to Australia, said on Twitter that the two nations updated their bilateral security pact “with a view to increasing deterrence due to the changing security environment in the Indo-Pacific.”

Japan devoted significant space of this year’s annual defense report to Taiwan, stating that Taiwan’s stability is “critical for Japan’s security” and must be “closely monitored with a sense of urgency” while cooperating with the international community.

“China has made clear that it would not hesitate to unify Taiwan by force, further increasing tensions in the region,” Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said in the report released on July 22.

The CCP claims Taiwan as part of its territory, even though Taiwan is a sovereign nation with a democratically elected government. Beijing has vowed to conquer Taiwan by force if necessary.

China initiated military drills near Taiwan after a controversial visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in August, firing multiple ballistic missiles over Taiwan and imposing a blockade of its international sea.