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Australian and Japanese officials have recently held discussions to push for closer economic, defence, resources and technology ties between the two countries.
Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee president Peter Grey recently met with Michiaki Hirose, Chair of the Japan Business Cooperation Committee in a meeting held earlier this month.
Other officials in attendance included Ambassador of Japan to Australia Kazuhiro Suzuki, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia Madeleine King as well as Australian Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy.
“The collaborative efforts of both committees are instrumental in enhancing our bilateral economic partnership,” according to Ambassador Suzuki.
“I am truly honoured to contribute to the strengthening and deepening of ties between businesses in Japan and Australia, in sectors such as resources, technology, defence and beyond.
“Thank you once again for your support and dedication.”
Deputy Prime Minister Marles was recently questioned, during a media stop in Arlington Virginia on February 8, in regards to trade relations between Australia, the USA and Japan.
“We obviously are engaging with the United States in respect of our bilateral relationship in respect to tariffs. We'll continue to do that,” the Deputy PM said, after being quizzed about US reciprocal tariffs threatening Japan and Australia.
“We’ll obviously press Australia's interest in our case in respect of that. But none of this is a surprise.
“We know what President Trump’s platform was as he went into the American election. He's been very clear about his policy direction. And so I think we all understand that is going to see changes in American policy in relation to this.
“From an Australian point of view, we will continue to press the Australian case around the question of trade. We are an island trading nation where trade forms an increasing share of our national prosperity. Our interest in this is clear, and we'll continue to pursue that interest.”
The Deputy PM also confirmed that American interests are aligned with Japanese and Australian concerns in the Indo-Pacific.
“We (US Sec Def Hegseth) very much talked about the fact that right now Australia is increasing its defence spending. We are seeing in Australia one of the largest increases in defence spending in our peacetime history,” he said.
“We are doing that through AUKUS, obviously, and through acquiring the nuclear-powered submarine capability in the process. And you're aware of this, obviously, we made clear that we are making the first of the payments (US$500 million) to the American industrial base for its submarine enterprise.
“That we've been able to do that in the first couple of weeks of the Trump Administration, we were able to do that in the first week of Secretary Hegseth’s term as the Secretary of Defense, we're really pleased about that. So we were able to reiterate all of those points. In terms of your second question, I think it's really clear that Secretary Hegseth and the Trump Administration are very focused on the challenges in the Indo-Pacific, and that is very pleasing to us. There is definitely an appreciation of the challenges to the rules‑based order that we see within our region and Secretary Hegseth and this administration is focused on it.”
