Japan and Australia are set to sign a military pact during virtual talks between Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday as the two countries are deepening cooperation against China.
The treaty, known as the Reciprocal Access Agreement, will allow troops from Australia to enter Japan and vice versa. The pact is significant since it will mark the first time since the end of World War II that Japan allows another foreign military besides the US on its soil.
The treaty was agreed on principal back in November 2020 and was welcomed by US military leaders. The US has been encouraging its Pacific allies to boost cooperation as the Pentagon’s primary focus is now countering China in the region.
Japan, Australia, the US, and India form the four-nation group known as the Quad that is viewed as a potential foundation for an anti-China NATO-style alliance in Asia. In recent years, the Quad nations have stepped up joint military exercises.
Australia recently signed the AUKUS military pact with the US and Britain that will give Canberra access to technology to develop nuclear-powered submarines. The deal has raised tensions between China and Australia, as the nuclear submarines are clearly meant for patrols near China.
LOL China is not impressed. Like the AUKUS deal, it means nothing to the military balance. Putting Australian forces in Japan just makes it easier for China to kill Australians and Japanese in one fell swoop.
It will take a decade or more for Australia to get nuclear subs – and note that the deal doesn’t include *nuclear weapons* for those subs, although obviously that is the end goal – because Australia doesn’t have the capacity to support those subs in any way, shape or form. So in the end, that deal was all about money for the US at the expense of the Australian taxpayer. By the time Australia has those subs, China will have hypersonic nuclear weapons aimed at Australia – as well as Japan.
Population of Japan is near 130 million. Population of Australia is near 230 million. Japan has no nuclear arsenal. Australia has no nuclear arsenal. Japan’s 2020 GDP 5.05 trillion. Australia’s 2020 GDP 1.331 trillion.
Population of China is near 1.4 billion. China has a nuclear arsenal. China’s 2020 GDP = 14.72 trillion.
Xi is quaking in his boots?