In a statement made on October 19, 2023, Japan announced that they invited Australia for the first time to the military exercise conducted together with the United States of America (USA). During the meetings in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara stated that they discussed this issue with his Australian counterpart Richard Marles. [1]
The first exercise, “Yama Sakura”, in November 2023, will be held with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and the US Army. The second exercise, “Keen Edge” in February, will be conducted by the SDF and the US Marine Corps.[2] After the meeting, Kihara said, “We are expanding our defense cooperation with Australia in all areas. “Our goal is to be able to work closely together in emergencies,” he said. The two countries also agreed to develop joint defense equipment. [3]
Marles stated that Australia welcomed closer security relations with Japan. In the speech published by the Canberra Government, he said: : “There is no country in the world with which we are more strategically aligned. We are both an ally of the United States and have complex relations with our largest trading partner, China. We also have a deep relationship with each other.” It has been said.[4]
Japan and Australia have some common interests regarding China. Japan invited Australia to bilateral military exercises with the USA, thus demonstrating its will to develop defense cooperation with Canberra. It can be argued that this situation may affect the security dynamics and actors’ geopolitical preferences in the Asia-Pacific.
This development raises a number of issues, especially in terms of regional security and strategic cooperation. The first of these is regional security challenges. Japan and Australia feel the need to act together against security concerns such as China’s increasing regional influence.
Another issue is the cooperation established by American allies. Both Japan and Australia maintain their alliance with the United States and wish to increase this cooperation. This reflects greater dependence on the US presence in the region and the US desire to maintain the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific.
Military capacity and training is another important consideration. The two countries aim to improve their defense capabilities and increase the training of their military personnel through such military exercises. This is important to ensure they can respond more effectively in the event of a potential security crisis.
Another issue is the dynamics of relations with China. This cooperation also highlights the complexity of relations with China. Both countries have complex trade and diplomatic relations with China.
As a result, Japan’s invitation to Australia to these military exercises is a sensitive development in terms of security and strategic balances in the Asia-Pacific. This cooperation could increase the interoperability of military forces in the region and completely worsen the security environment of the region. This may also have negative repercussions on regional relations.
[1] “Japan Invites Australia to Join Two Military Exercises for First Time”, US News, https://t.ly/4Z4eR, (Erişim Tarihi: 20.10.2023).
[2] “Australia to Join Japan-U.S. Joint Command Post Drills for 1st Time”, Kyodo News, https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/10/ca844c854765-australia-to-join-japan-us-joint-command-post-drills-for-1st-time.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 20.10.2023).
[3] Aynı yer.
[4] Same place
