Regional security cooperation in East Asia: what can Japan and Australia usefully do together?

Abstract

This article discusses Japan–Australia security cooperation in the context of changing regional dynamics in the Asia-Pacific. The combined influences of the rise of China, the US position in the world after two years under an Obama administration, and the changing structure of regional cooperation are setting new challenges and a historically distinct context for security relations between Japan and Australia. After examining each of the above regional changes, this article discusses the effects of political transitions over the last several months in both Japan and Australia. It then highlights three natural areas for Japan and Australia to pursue increased cooperation: denuclearisation, addressing China's policy on territorial integrity, and the rise of China's military, in particular in terms of naval power. The article concludes by providing the author's perspective on Japan–Australia security cooperation and suggests the future direction of relations.

Keywords:

• Japan
• Australia
• cooperation

Notes

1. See <www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/area/china/pdfs/kankei.pdf#01> (accessed 30 August 2009).

2. Anami Koreshige, former Japanese Ambassador to China, made an astute observation about the ‘light and darkness’ of Chinese society (see Gakushikaiho 2008).

3. A new Liberation Day was established for 28 March (Asahi Shinbun, 30 January 2009). Asahi Shinbun, which has been known for its pro-China reporting for many decades, now carries articles describing the deep indignation of Tibetans against the Han occupiers (Asahi Shinbun, 22 February 2009).

4. See <www.mizuho-ri.co.jp/research/economics/pdf/research/r090801us.pdf> (accessed 30 August 2009).

5. Hillary Clinton made a speech on 21 January 2010 on the freedom of the Internet and named China as increasing censorship (Asahi Shinbun, 12 January 2010).

6. The Japan–Australia–US Trilateral Strategic Dialogue at the ministerial level began in March 2006 in Sydney, followed up in November 2006 with a meeting in Hanoi and a third session during June 2008 in Kyoto.

7. Parello-Plesner quotes Rizal Sukma of the Jakarta-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies as arguing for an ‘E-8’: ‘an informal forum to meet in conjunction with Asian multilateral meetings’.

8. See <www.kantei.go.jp/jp/sinseichousenryaku/> (accessed 6 July 2010).

9. See <www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/naruhodo/qa/qa5.html> (accessed 6 September 2009).

10. Information from an insider at the conference, who asked to remain anonymous.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kazuhiko Togo

Kazuhiko Togo (PhD from Leiden University, 2009) is Director, Institute for World Affairs, Kyoto Sangyo University and a former member of the Japanese Foreign Service (1968–2002)