AUSTRALIA: PMs Kishida, Morrison Sign Defence Treaty

Earlier today, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison signed a 'landmark' treaty at a virtual meeting. The treaty is intended to improve defence links between the two nations in an effort to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific.

• Morrison said that the treaty is "a statement of two nations' commitment to work together in meeting the shared strategic security challenges we face and to contribute to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific [...] This landmark treaty will [...] for the first time provide a clear framework for enhanced inter-operability and cooperation between our two forces,"
• Japan and Australia already sit as part of the 'Quad' alliance alongside the United States and India. This new treaty will likely pave the way for more frequent joint military exercises between the Australian armed forces and Japan's self-defence forces.
• In response to the signing of the treaty, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated that, “The Chinese side believes that cooperation among countries should enhance mutual understanding, trust and peace in the region and should not target or hurt the interests of a third party,”