Japan-Australia agreement augments anti-China alliance

THE announcement last autumn of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) security pact made many headlines across the world. Yet, the lower-profile Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), embracing both defence and economics, could prove significant too.

RAA, under negotiation since 2014, is the first deal of its kind that Japan has struck since the Status of Forces Agreement with the US more than six decades ago. It eases restrictions on the movement of weapons and supplies for joint training and disaster relief operations, and also provides a springboard for greater economic collaboration. Take the example of Australia's new Clean Hydrogen Trade Programme with an initial US$150 million commitment to export to Japan. Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants his nation to be a clean hydrogen supplier of choice, and has promised to showcase green-energy innovation at the Osaka World Expo in 2025. The Japan-Australia agreement highlights how much Japan is now growing in strategic importance as a partner in an emerging international, anti-China alliance. Not only is Tokyo a long-standing member of Western-led clubs such as the G7, plus the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, there is also growing speculation that it could be invited to join the so-called "5 Eyes" intelligence alliance; and the RAA could become a "template" for other Western nations such as the UK to establish a stronger future regional presence in the Asia-Pacific.

While much emphasis is put on the security pillar of the Japanese-Western alliance, economics is key too. The transformation of Japan's world role in recent decades stemmed, in part, from its phenomenal post-war business success, which has led to growing calls for it to match its economic power with commitment to international political relations too.