On Thursday, September 5th, ministers from Japan and Australia held the 11th 2+2 ministerial meeting in Melbourne, expressing “serious concerns” over the Chinese Communist authorities’ “escalating” dangerous and threatening activities targeting the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, Australian Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara issued a joint statement after the meeting.
The four ministers stated in the declaration, “We express serious concerns over recent developments in the South China Sea, including the escalation of China’s dangerous and threatening activities against the Philippines, which have been occurring frequently.”
As part of broader efforts to strengthen civilian maritime cooperation with regional partners, the ministers of both countries confirmed their continued support for the Philippine Coast Guard.
They emphasized, “We oppose any actions that may escalate tensions and disrupt regional stability, including militarization of disputed areas.”
The ministers reiterated the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and once again underscored the 2016 final ruling of the South China Sea Arbitration Tribunal as “legally binding” on both parties.
During the meeting, both countries agreed to expand security cooperation, including “utilizing all national tools to help prevent conflicts and maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
They pledged to strengthen their special strategic partnership and agreed to enhance bilateral economic security dialogues to promote information sharing and cooperation in economic and strategic risks.
The ministers stated their intention to collaborate with Southeast Asian countries to “enhance regional economic, security, and climate resilience to address security challenges.”
Japan and Australia unanimously agreed to enhance their bilateral operational capabilities and interoperability through action and joint exercises, utilizing the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the two countries. With the future establishment of the Japan Joint Operations Command (JJOC), there will be exchanges of liaison officers between joint headquarters.
Furthermore, the two countries committed to further cooperation in combat capabilities, fully utilizing Japan’s long-range defense capabilities and Australia’s long-range strike capabilities.
They also pledged to jointly develop plans for the evacuation of their citizens in the event of emergencies in third countries.