Joint Press Conference, Tokyo

SUBJECTS: Australia‑Japan Defence Relationship; Indo‑Pacific; General Purpose Frigates. 

KOIZUMI SHINJIRO, JAPAN’S MINISTER OF DEFENSE (VIA TRANSLATOR): This year marks a historic milestone in [the] Japan‑Australia defense relationship, as the Australian Government selected Japan's upgraded Mogami class frigate for its next generation general purpose frigate program. Next year will be another landmark, marking the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Japan and Australia. Today I had the honor of hosting DPM Marles in the Minister of Defense here in Ichigaya and holding a Defence Ministers Meeting, which came on the heels of our recent engagement in Malaysia. The fact truly underscores the enduring strengthen of our partnership.

In the meantime, an incident occurred on two occasions just yesterday, in which Chinese military aircraft intermittently conducted laser illumination on Self Defense Force aircraft. The laser illumination was a dangerous act that exceeded the scope necessary for the safe flight of the aircraft. Japan strongly protested against it and urged China to strictly prevent its recurrence. As DPM Marles made a statement at the front of the meeting, Japan and Australia continue working together to respond to such acts by China in calm yet resolute manner for the peace and stability in the region, focusing on the rules‑based order. 

Amidst the security environment surrounding the region is increasingly severe and complex, as we are witnessing, Japan‑Australia defense cooperation as Special Strategic Partners is deeper than ever before in all areas, towards strengthening collective deterrence. For instance, both Japan and Australia will revise our respective strategic documents next year. Also, defense industry cooperation will move forward, building upon the selection of upgraded Mogami class frigates. That will make a contribution to the peace and stability in the Indo‑Pacific, having wide range of significance, such as improving shipbuilding and maintenance foundation in the Indo‑Pacific, strengthening the cooperation on supply chain, as well as largely enhancing interoperability. During the meeting today, DPM Marles and I reaffirmed the roles Japan and Australia should play in maintaining the peace and stability in the region. Furthermore, as our defence authorities have been engaged in numerous discussions across a wide range of fields and levels, including defence policy, intelligence, bilateral and multilateral activities, industry and technology, space, cyber and integrated air and missile defence, we reached a shared understanding that we should restructure our framework to advance discussions and follow up on the overall defence cooperation under our leadership. As a result, we conclude to ensure that Japan and Australia can work together effectively with greater strategic alignment at all levels and in all situations, from peacetime to contingencies. To achieve this objective, we will consolidate and organise defence cooperation in all areas and conduct future Japan‑Australia defence collaboration under the Framework for Strategic Defence Coordination, or FSDC, which will be led by Defence Ministers. We also conclude that Japan and Australia, which have strategic alignment, work together as a center pillar of multi‑layered cooperation with likeminded countries in the Indo‑Pacific, with the aim to build a robust net of security cooperation. Finally, following this press conference, DPM Marles and I will run together inside Ichigaya, as we did when we met for the first time. Amid an increasingly severe security environment, we'd like to take this opportunity to send a strong and clear message to wider audiences in the world by showing the leaders in defence in Japan and Australia running together, literally shoulder to shoulder, carrying the determination to advance concrete Japan‑Australia defence cooperation.

RICHARD MARLES, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER:  Thank you and can I just start by saying that it has been an absolute joy tobe meeting with my friend, Minister Koizumi, the Minister for National Defense in Japan, on what has been an incredibly productive meeting today. I'm looking forward to our run together, but I need for Minister Koizumi to give me some leave, because he is much faster than me.

Today we are announcing the establishment of the Framework for Strategic Defence Coordination. This will be an annual comprehensive meeting between our defence establishments each and every year. It is about building on our alignment and moving to integration between our two systems. It will involve meeting with our departments of defence, our defence forces, and representatives from our intelligence communities. Japan is our trusted and indispensable partner, and this is about deepening the defence relationship, which is already very significant, and bringing the maximum ambition to each of these areas to ensure that we are working as closely together as we possibly can in the future. And today we talked about how our defence establishments can work together across every domain, including cyber and space, looking at issues such as logistics, such as maintenance and supply, to ensure that we are absolutely working as closely together to uphold a free and open Indo‑Pacific. Building on the Reciprocal Access Agreement which now exists between our two countries, we are seeing a completely different level of operational activity between our two countries from both of our countries, in a way which greatly enhances the way in which both Japan and Australia can contribute to a peaceful and secure Indo‑Pacific. And all of this is very important as we look to 2026 – a year in which we will be, both countries, updating our strategic documents, a year in which we will have our annual leaders’ meeting on the 50th anniversary of the NARA Treaty, and this will be really important in terms of advancing the defence engagement between our two countries.

Yesterday, I visited the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki. This is the place which builds the Mogami class vessels for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, and the place which will build the upgraded Mogami vessel for the Royal Australian Navy. And I was deeply impressed by the efficiency, the effectiveness, the sophistication of this shipyard. Our relationship is already extensive, but this kind of defence industry cooperation greatly deepens the relationships between two countries, and that is what will happen with this project, the Mogami class frigate, between Australia and Japan. Mine will be just the first of many ministerial visits to Nagasaki, and in time, there will be a significant number of Australians who will be working from Nagasaki to participate in delivering this project. And today we talked about how we can use this opportunity to deepen the engagement between our respective defence industry supply chains in both Australia and Japan. 

Finally, let me just make some comments on the events of the last 24 hours. As I said earlier today, we are deeply concerned by the actions of China in the last 24 hours. Australia and Japan work together to uphold a free and open Indo‑Pacific. Our defence forces work to assert the rules‑based order, which is so important to providing peace and security for the Indo‑Pacific, but in fact the world. We understand that in the process of that, there will be interactions between different defense forces. But we expect those interactions to be safe and professional. We will continue to work with Japan and stand with Japan in upholding that rules‑based order. Japan's growing presence in our region and indeed in the world, from an Australian point of view, is deeply welcome. Australia. We support the defence and security reforms that are taking place here in Japan. When we are working more closely with Japan, we feel safer as a nation, but as our two countries work together we do so in a way which is about upholding the peace and security of the Indo‑Pacific and that will continue to be the focus of all that we do.

JOURNALIST (VIA TRANSLATOR): I have a question which is intended to both Minister Koizumi and DPM Marles. It's been heard that you discussed the regional security situation, could you elaborate on the point which you shared regarding China's increasing maritime activities? And did you also discuss the issues surrounding Taiwan, or the growing tensions between Japan and China over a potential Taiwan contingency? And what is your assessment on the current situation where diplomatic confrontation between Japan and China is deepening over a potential Taiwan contingency? In addition, could you share any other positions or perspectives which each of you expressed during the meeting? Lastly, with respect to the conclusion of the contract for the upgraded Mogami class frigate, if there was any agreement on the specific timing or details of the contract, can you share that with us, please? And to DPM Marles, I heard you visited Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ shipyard yesterday, what is your impression on that visit?

MINISTER KOIZUMI: We touched upon China and Taiwan as we discussed the regional situation during the meeting. Through the discussion, I expressed our serious concerns about situations in the East and South China Seas, then also reaffirmed our strong opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. You also asked a question about upgraded Mogami class frigate, DPM Marles and I shared understanding that we will continue discussions towards the conclusion of the contract by the end of this fiscal year. I will refrain from going into further details about our discussions, considering the relationship with Australian side. Next year will be a milestone, marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Japan and Australia, which means a lot to us. And we will seek to further grow Japan‑Australia defence cooperation by making the most of Framework for Strategic Defence Cooperation, or FSDC, which has   been newly established under the leadership of DPM Marles and I today. 

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MARLES: Well, firstly on Taiwan, let me simply say that we do not want to see any change to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. In general terms, Minister Koizumi and I spoke about the way in which Australia and Japan can work together to assert the rules‑based order and provide for the peace and stability of the Indo‑Pacific. And as I said earlier, we greatly appreciate the way in which our two countries are working together in order to do that. On the Mogami class project and Australia's general purpose frigate, we are working very well with Japan in relation to the progress of those contracts, and all of that is happening on time, and we look very much forward to seeing the progress of this as rapidly as possible. And as to the visit yesterday to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ yard in Nagasaki, I was deeply impressed. A couple of months ago, I had the opportunity of going aboard a Mogami class vessel in the minister's constituency– his hometown, and the Mogami class vessel is an incredibly impressive ship. To see the shipyard where these are built, to see the sophistication of it, the modernity of it, the efficiency of the processes that are in place to build the ship – it was a very impressive site to see. And it really affirms our sense that both Japan and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are going to be an excellent partner in the delivery of Australia's general purpose frigate. 

JOURNALIST: My name is Jessica Sier, I’m with the Australian Financial Review. Thank you very much for your time today. Many in Japan often look to Australia to manage some of the economic coercion from China. After a very difficult period, Australia made no real concessions and the relationship has stabilised. But China is increasing its military coercion of Japan, and there are signals that it might do so in Australia. From a defense perspective, how do we respond to this type of military coercion and pressure, both in Australia and from Japan? And just a follow up, do you anticipate that today's strong language of support for Japan may agitate Australia's relationship with China in any way? And specifically on the Japan side, China's economic coercion has started again. What plans does the defence force have to secure the supply chains going into the defence force for a lot of this new manufacturing work? And how many Australians do you anticipate working in some of these new facilities?

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MARLES: Well, thank you for the question. We feel we have stabilised the relationship with China, and we've done so by acting in a clear, consistent, calm, sensible way. To be clear, China is our largest trading partner, and we want the most productive relationship that we can have with China. As we've said on many occasions, we will seek to work together with China where we can, but we will disagree where we must. Maintenance of the global rules‑based order in the Indo‑Pacific – ideas like freedom of navigation and the assertion of the UN Convention and the Law of the Sea – all of this goes to the heart of Australia's national interest. And we will continue to assert this. We will be very clear with China that in all that we are seeking to do, our only aim is to assert the rules‑based order, to promote the peace and stability of the Indo‑Pacific region. And that as our defence forces interact with each other, we expect those interactions to be safe and professional. Certainly that's how we conduct ourselves. We continue to advocate to China about these issues, again in a very calm and sensible and moderate way, and my language today is entirely consistent with supporting those aims. 

MINISTER KOIZUMI: I can finish my remarks by saying that we are on the same page, but I'll make a few remarks in addition to that. As for the incident of radar illumination conducted by Chinese military aircraft, the radar illumination was a dangerous act that exceeded the scope necessary for the safe flight of the aircraft, and Japan strongly protested against it and asked China to strictly prevent its recurrence. In relation to China, as DPM Marles cited, we will respond in a calm yet resolute manner, and we will ensure through (inaudible) activities in the sea and air space surrounding our country. Also, I conveyed to Chinese Defence Minister Don Jung during our recent Japan‑China bilateral defence ministry meeting that took place in Malaysia, there exist concerns– all the reason to persistently engage in discussions and communication without averting eyes from specific and difficult issues. And I'd like to keep the close communications between defence authorities (inaudible).

ENDS