Japan, U.S., Australia defense chiefs agree to strengthen trilateral training, tech cooperation

By Yusuke Amano / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:21 JST, October 2, 2022

HONOLULU — Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada held talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Hawaii on Saturday, during which they agreed to deepen defense cooperation to jointly deter China’s hegemonic behavior.

During the 90-minute-long talks at the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Smith, the defense chiefs affirmed that the three nations would enhance trilateral training and promote defense equipment and technology initiatives.

This was the 11th defense ministerial talks among the three countries and first since a meeting in Singapore in June.

At the talks in Hawaii, Hamada mentioned issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the South and East China Seas.

“The foundations of the international order are being undermined,” Hamada said. “It is more important than ever before that Japan, the United States and Australia work closely together.”

Marles stressed that the trilateral cooperation among the three countries is a pillar of stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The defense chiefs also shared concerns over tensions heightened by China’s aggressive actions in the region.

“We are deeply concerned by China’s increasingly aggressive and bullying behavior in the Taiwan Strait and elsewhere in the region,” Austin said.