Japan-Australia army ties on the rise

Japan's defense minister said on Tuesday he wants to meet his Australian counterpart this month to push for an agreement to jointly develop military technology, part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's drive for a more robust military.

In March, Tokyo ended a decades-old ban on military exports, allowing such a deal to go ahead. In doing so, Japan, which is trying to build alliances to oppose China, seeks closer security ties with Australia, in addition to its traditional ally, the United States.

"I would like to push along discussion with Australia on agreeing to a framework to cooperate in defense equipment and technology," Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said at a regular news conference.

Officials in Japan and Australia are eager to accelerate talks that may lead to an unprecedented deal for Japan to supply Australia with submarine stealth technology or even fully engineered vessels, sources in both countries told Reuters last month.

Onodera is to meet Australian Defense Minister David Johnston along with the foreign ministers from both countries in Tokyo this month, although a date for the talks has not yet been set.

A deal could give Australia access to technology developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries that it needs to build a $37 billion fleet of as many as 12 stealth submarines to replace its Collins-class vessels, extending its maritime reach deep into the Indian Ocean.

Earlier on Saturday, Johnston backed comments by his US counterpart, Chuck Hagel, accusing China of "destabilizing" actions in the South China Sea.

Speaking at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hagel accused China of a number of alleged infractions.

In opening the forum, Abe urged countries to respect the rule of law, an apparent reference to China, according to AFP.

Johnston told the Sydney Morning Herald, in an interview from Singapore published on Monday, that he supported their view.

Asked whether he supported Hagel's comments, the Australian minister said: "I do to the extent that it is destabilization ... in a previously very successful region that has been able to deliver enormous amounts of prosperity to countries in the Asia-Pacific."

(China Daily 06/04/2014 page11)