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Japanese, American, and Australian defence ministers have outlined concerns about the increasingly severe security environment in the East China Sea, during a Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting in Singapore.
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Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Yasukazu Hamada, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III met at the 20th International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit.
At the 2023 Shangri-La Dialogue, the defence ministers stated they strongly opposed any destabilizing and coercive unilateral actions that may escalate tensions in the East China Sea, and strongly opposed any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion.
They also committed to further defence cooperation including conducting trilateral F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training in Australia, high-end trilateral exercises in northern Australia (Exercise Southern Jackaroo), regularise asset protection missions, deepen trilateral information-sharing, and continue trilateral policy and strategy dialogues on regional issues.
Deputy PM and Defence Minister Marles said Australia’s investment in new defence capability, including through AUKUS, is a prudent and necessary contribution to a sustainable and inclusive balance of power.
“Defence Strategic Review recognises we must make investments in our defence capabilities now; to defend Australia; deter through denial any attempt to project force against Australia; and protect Australia’s economic connection to our region and the world,” he said.
“We also recognise that we must be able to contribute, with our partners, to the collective security of the Indo-Pacific and the maintenance of the global and regional rules-based order.
“Our government views Australia playing its part in maintaining and building regional peace as being at the heart of why we have a defence force.”
Minister Marles said next year, the Australian government will release an inaugural National Defence Strategy, to be updated biennially.
The Defence ministers said they would expand cooperation by concluding a trilateral Research Development Test and Evaluation framework and boost strategic cooperation in integrated air and missile defence, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and undersea warfare.
They agreed on inclusive partnership plans to deepen engagement with ASEAN member states, coordinate capacity building engagements with regional partners, and work in complement with Pacific partners to address unexploded ordnance. They also detailed concerns about militarisation of disputed areas, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels, and North Korea’s nuclear missile development.
The ministers encouraged the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues, as well as commitment to continue to improve interoperability and deepen defence cooperation across the spectrum, as well as introduction of counterstrike capabilities by Japan, and investment in long-range strike capabilities by Australia.
The ministers welcomed the progress being made towards the entry into force of the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement.
Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Li Shangfu met with Defence Minister Richard Marles at the conference.
“People cannot but ask these questions: Who is disrupting peace in the region? What are the root causes of the chaos and instability? And what should we stay vigilant about and guard against?” he said.
“Today, what Asia-Pacific needs are big pies of open and inclusive cooperation, not small cliques that are self-serving and exclusive.
“We must never forget the catastrophes inflicted by the two world wars and the Cold War. And we must never allow such tragedies to happen again.”
The defence minister also underscored the importance of the Global Security Initiative.
