Joint press conference, Australia-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers

Errors and omissions excepted

Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister: I might kick off and welcome everyone to balmy Queenscliff on a very typical bright, sunny day that we've all experienced here. Can I begin by just saying how honoured both Penny and I are to have Minister Kamikawa and Minister Kihara here in Queenscliff today and in Australia today to participate in the annual Australia-Japan 2+2. This meeting has taken place in a context where our two countries have never been more close, where we have never had a greater strategic alignment, where our relationship has never been stronger. And at the outset I'd like to acknowledge the government of Prime Minister Kishida, because under his prime ministership the relationship between our two countries really has gone to a very different level. And we want to thank him and all the ministers of his cabinet for the contribution they have made to enhancing the Australia-Japan relationship and to taking it to where it is today.

In that context, the theme of the discussions that the four of us have had today has been to take that strong relationship and charge it with ambition – ambition across the full spectrum of policy areas to take our relationship even further, because this is what we need to do in the context of a global environment which is becoming increasingly difficult, a global environment where the rules-based order is more under pressure.

In respect of defence cooperation, again, that cooperation has never been greater than where it is on this day. And there is an extensive agenda of outcomes which we have put out coming out of today's meeting. But I want to highlight four. Today, we have agreed to enhance our air engagement with greater people-to-people links, more training, greater exercises between our two defence– two air forces. This really began last year when Japan sent F-35s to the Northern Territory, which then accompanied Australian F-35s which went back to Japan to participate in Exercise Bushido Guardian. And we look forward to increased cooperation between our two air forces.

Next year for the first time Australia will participate in Exercise Orient Shield. This is the largest land exercise which exists between the United States and Japan, and for the first time next year Australia will participate in that exercise and we're really excited about that opportunity. It speaks to perhaps a broader theme, which is that we have looked at opportunities where both of us have bilateral engagements with the United States and sought to seek opportunities where we can trilateralise them, where we can involve each other in those activities. To that end, we, of course, host a rotation of the United States Marine through the dry season in the Northern Territory each year. And we have agreed to explore ways in which the Japanese Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade can participate in the marine rotation, US Marine rotations, which occur in Darwin every year. This is a really huge opportunity for our three defence forces to operate in an amphibious context, noting that come out of the Defence Strategic Review and the National Defence Strategy is a desire for us to have our army become more amphibious in its operations.

And, finally, we have agreed to enhance our coordination around command and control. There is already a very strong relationship between Australia's Joint Operations Command and the Joint Operations Command which exists in Japan. Going forward, we have agreed out of today's meeting that there will be liaison officers in each of those commands in each of our countries – that is, a Japanese liaison officer in Joint Operation Command here in Australia and an Australian liaison officer in Joint Operation Command in Japan.

They are just four examples of where we have agreed to take the relationship forward in respect of our defence cooperation. But there are many more agreements that we have reached today about an increased defence engagement. And, again, that speaks to giving expression to the ambition that I think all four of us have brought to today's conversation and we are really, really pleased and excited about what the future holds for the Australia-Japanese relationship.

Kamikawa Yamikawa Yōko,Japanese Foreign Minister (Translation): Thank you very much. Now, here in Queenscliff who has served a major role in coastline defene of Australia from olden times. At the very historic fort today together with Defence Minister Kihara and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Marles as well as Foreign Minister Wong we were able to have Japan-Australia 2+2 meeting. 

I am so delighted that we were able to attend this meeting. Japan and Australia are two maritime nations connected by the Pacific Ocean and under the special strategic partnership we have been closely working together to realise free and open Indo-Pacific.

In particular, in the recent years we have seen alignment of broad strategic interests, and as a core of the like-minded countries partnership we have been able to advance that cooperation to an unparalleled level.

Amidst the increasingly difficult security environment in the Indo-Pacific we need to constantly address, to raise the Japan-Australia security cooperation to a new height, which is something very important in order to ensure peace and stability for the region as a whole. I am convinced of this.

As for Japan-Australia cooperation it has been spreading it to the newer front in this strategic communication as well as in how to grapple with discommunication, in trying to proceed with the partnership and the dialogue. We have come to agreement and, lastly, Japan and Australia to cooperate with the other like-minded countries to be able to establish under the free and open Indo-Pacific based upon the rule of law. We need to work very closely.

Under this concept between the four ministers of Japan and Australia we have been able to have good discussion. There have been three results that we have seen.

Firstly, that we have been able to confirm that we have in-depth understanding of our strategic interests especially in the East China Sea as well as South China Sea to strongly oppose attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force. And we have also agreed on the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits as well as on the nuclear missile activities of North Korea as well as the progression of Russia‑North Korea cooperation and including the abduction issue, we have been able to confirm on our partnership in how to respond to North Korea.

Secondly, as we face more complex challenges on security front, Japan and Australia should constantly try to deepen and expand our security collaboration. We have been able to agree on the direction. And we should jointly strengthen deterrence capability in the region utilising our partnership with the United States, which is the common ally to both of us.

For the theme Cyber New Front, including cyber security as well as how to deal with the disinformation and in the strategic communication we should try to promote the partnership and dialogue in the economic security arena, and we have also agreed on a partnership for the PPS. Thirdly and lasty Japan and Australia should work closely with the other like-minded countries so that we can further maintain and strengthen free and open international order based on rule of law, that together we should play a leading role.

And for our neighbouring region, the Pacific Island nations as well as for the South East Asian region, we need to have collaboration based upon their needs and try to enhance their resilience in the region.

And in this regard, Japan Australia Pacific Digital Development Initiative, which has been announced today will be the propulsion of such endeavours. Japan and Australia cooperation serves as a cardinal point for our mutual security as well as peace and stability for the region as a whole. It is extremely important in the strategic partnership we are positioning this to be very important issue.

We were able to have very productive discussion today and we should continue our dialogue going forward. And under different and several themes we should try to realise our security cooperation, four of us have agreed and we have also agreed that we should further deepen our relationship. Thank you.

Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Thank you, Richard. Thank you to Foreign Minister Kamikawa. It's been such a pleasure us to host you and Defence Minister Kihara today. I've obviously been a visitor to Japan, very regularly in recent times, so it's good to reciprocate the hospitality, and can I say to you our friendship could not be warmer, even if the weather is somewhat windy and cold.

Look, there are a couple of things which are really clear from the discussions we had today. The first is how closely aligned we are. How closely aligned our two countries are, our two nations are, when it comes to the assessment of strategic challenges, when it comes to energy, trade and investment ties, when it comes to defence and also how we wish to collaborate together to contribute to the prosperity of our region.

The second thing that is also demonstrably clear is our ambition for our partnership. We are ambitious to continue to evolve this partnership to meet the challenges of our times, and the fact that we were late to this press conference is indicative of how much more we had to discuss.

We discussed the support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, we discussed our serious concerns over recent developments in the East and South China Seas, including China's activities towards the Philippines and incursion into Japanese territory. We reiterated our shared vision for the region: we want a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

We agreed to enhance maritime cooperation with the partners in the region, including jointly to provide support for the Philippines Coast Guard as well as more capacity-building assistance and maritime cooperative activities with the Philippines.

Minister Kamikawa in her contribution just then spoke about the world becoming more complex and the region becoming more complex. This is the motivation behind the work that we are doing to expand our Special Strategic Partnership beyond traditional tools of statecraft. People might have heard me talk regularly about the importance of using all arms of national power, all tools of national power. This is the thinking behind our increased bilateral cooperation in economic security through the Australian-Japan Economic Security Dialogue. This is the thinking behind the work we are doing together to better align our investment in infrastructure in the Pacific.

Minister Kamikawa spoke about a very important initiative – the Australia-Japan Digital Development Initiative for the Pacific to enhance connectivity and digital resilience across the Pacific. It is responding to a Pacific priority because, of course, improved connectivity underpins social development and economic development.

We have already cooperated very effectively on delivery of undersea cables in the Pacific, and we are stepping this up to better support digital and communications infrastructure, data sensors, security and cyber security capacity-building and resilience.

We've also agreed to work together to support the energy transition in South East Asia, building on Australia's South East Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. As part of this I can confirm Australia will support Japan's Asia Zero Emissions Centre in Jakarta, focused on accelerating the uptake of clean energy. This is about driving the energy transformation, the clean energy transformation, of the region in which we live.

We have also agreed to do more around information and cyber security, building on our recent joint actions in threat information sharing and responses, including public cyber attribution.

I want to acknowledge and thank Foreign Minister Kamikawa for her leadership as the Foreign Minister for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the multilateral context. We will expand that global cooperative agenda to ensure – to work towards full implementation of WPS.

All of these outcomes and more demonstrate the way in which we are realising both the spirit of our Special Strategic Partnership but also practical commitments to give it effect. That is what today has been about.

So can I thank again Foreign Minister Kamikawa and Defence Minister Kihara. Thank you for coming to Australia, particularly at this time. We appreciate it. We have deeply appreciated the discussion, the frankness, the openness and the strategic alignment we share. Thank you.

Minoru Kihara, Japanese Minister of Defense (Translation): At the outset, Deputy Prime Minister Marles have given us a very high assessment for the Kishida administration, and we are grateful for this. And I would like to convey the statement by the Deputy Prime Minister to our Prime Minister Kishida. Now, this time together with Deputy Prime Minister Marles as well as Foreign Minister Wong and Foreign Minister Kamikawa we have been able to affirm the unprecedentedly strong Japan-Australia security and defence cooperation. And based upon joint declaration on security cooperation in October 2022 we have agreed to further promote our cooperation between the defence authorities on a seamless basis from normal times to emergency – the [Japanese] Self-Defense Force and Australian Defence Force have been able to build a posture effectively to collaborate. So we are able to have a practical deterrence and response capabilities together with the United States. And this is extremely important.

From that perspective, the operational cooperation and the joint training we have been able to have a good discussion based on the flexible deterrence options of the FDO as preceded by Japan that we are able to develop on the [indistinct] on the operational level to try to deter the unilateral change of the status quo. And as for the joint operations command of Japan and between the Joint Operations Command of Australia that we will be having mutual dispatch of liaison officers. We have also agreed to pursue further technological cooperation between our two countries as well as including the United States and also with AUKUS. This kind of defence capabilities which considered counterstrike capabilities and Australia's long‑range strike capabilities will be able to work together. And the Australian Defence Force personnel will participate in the BIAC, and we welcome that. And we have confirmed on promoting what we have agreed at the Japan-Australia-United States Defence Ministers' Meeting in May this year, including Japan to expand participation in the US Force Posture initiative, and we will work with India as well as the South East Asian countries, including Philippines as well as Pacific Island nations and ROK. We will further promote a partnership of like-minded countries. As for the defence ministry, we will build the multi-layered network. Thank you.

Deputy Prime Minister: Thank you, Minoru, Yōko, Penny. There's an opportunity now for a few questions, and the first is from NHK.

Journalist (Translation): Now my Question is to Minister Kamikawa. On the Indo-Pacific developments that China is continuing to advance into the ocean, at the Japan-Australia 2+2 being held against this backdrop, could you be very frank as to how you were able to confirm on what kind of collaboration, what has been achieved this time, please?

Minister Kamikawa (Translation): Now as we see the Indo-Pacific security environment it is becoming increasingly difficult. That we share deeply strategic interests with Australia. It is indispensable to further strengthen our security cooperation. Now, for the four ministers who participated at the consultations today, we share this perception. And based upon such recognition, in the consultations area, both our countries are maritime nations and Japan and Australia, in trying to effectively respond to the changes happening in the strategic environment, we need to unflaggingly deepen and continue the cooperation in security arena and we have agreed as to the direction and more concretely as to how we can proceed with our cooperation.

We have seen agreement amongst the four ministers and, in particular, for the first time we have made public the Japan-Australia, the Economic Security Dialogue, as well as Japan-Australia and United States, the cyber and also strategic communication dialogue. Those would be the good foundations for our cooperation going forward. But this strategic dialogue has been newly established as something very important for both of us.

As for the ASEAN countries and also for the Pacific Island nations, with those countries we need to enhance the connectivity as well as resilience for the region as a whole. Japan and Australia should work closely to try to enhance those capabilities. And on this we have agreed and you are able to see the results. And as for new endeavours, the Pacific Digital Development Initiative has been newly launched and has been announced.

As for going forward, we need to continue our dialogue and also to utilise such initiatives to a maximum level so that Japan and Australia should sustain our cooperation in a more concrete manner and between our four ministers we need to enhance our own connectivity as well. And I'm sure we will be able to make endeavours to further collaborate. Thank you.

Deputy Prime Minister: The next question is from Nippon TV.

Journalist (Translation): My question is to Minister Kihara. China is strengthening its advancement into the ocean. In order to realise free and open Indo-Pacific, the relevance of enhancing a partnership with Australia in the security arena, and what were the things you have discussed on the joint development for the new frigate? Has there been any intent to participate in the tender, have you mentioned?

Minister Kihara: In order to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, we need to have a multi-layered network of allies and like-minded countries and we need to expand on this network. This is something crucial. And Japan and Australia, together with our ally the United States, we fully share our values as well as strategic goals. And for Japan, Australia is at the core of our like-minded countries partnership. So between Japan and Australia from the normal times to the emergency, on a seamless basis, [Japan's] Self-Defense Force and Australian Defence Force have been able to build an effective way, a partnership and together with the United States so we will be able to practically build our deterrence and the response capabilities.

As for the new frigate program of Australia, including whether we have discussed this issue with Australia or not, I will refrain from making any comments on this specific individual issues. Furthermore, for this program, at this moment in time for government of Japan, there is nothing that has been decided as a policy. That's all.

Deputy Prime Minister: The next question is the ABC.

Journalist: Hi, I'm Harrison Tippet from the ABC. I have some questions from the team in Canberra. To the Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister first, Minister, climate change groups in Australia have criticised Japan's energy policies and say Japan's role as a major global gas trader as well as its public loans propping up Australian gas projects are undermining and slowing the global transition to clean energy. While acknowledging Japan faces serious and difficult strategic threats and that Japan's energy security is critical, particularly in the face of those threats, are Japan's policy settings undermining collective efforts on climate change?

And Foreign Minister Wong, how can both countries meaningfully ramp up action on climate change to ensure that the energy and commodities trade between Japan and Australia actually facilitates rather than obstructs the green energy transition?

Minister Wong: Perhaps I might lead on that first. Thank you for asking those questions. I want to first make this point, that Australia and Japan have had historically such an important economic relationship because we have been a reliable energy supplier to Japan, and that has been critical to the alignment we have and very important to both economies.

We want to continue to be Japan's energy – a supplier of Japan's energy as we transition to clean energy. So we want in 20, 30, and 40 years' time also to be in a position for the Australian Foreign Minister, the Australian Defence Ministers to stand up with counterparts and talk about the work we have done together in that energy transition. That is important for both countries, and it is important for the global economy and for the global response to climate change.

The second point I'd make in terms of gas – and I understand this has become politicised at both ends of the spectrum – you know, what is the role of gas? Gas is important for us in Australia because it is how you ensure that you firm renewables. Gas is important to us in Australia because there will still be gas used in the home and obviously also in industrial processes.

So I think it's important to take a very precise approach to the way in which the role in which gas has in the energy transition and in the firming of renewables as we transition to a clean energy economy.

The final point I would make is this, that Japan and Australia share a very clear commitment to net zero by 2050, and we have, I think, a similar trajectory between here and then. And what we are seeking to do is to work together to achieve that. And the work that we are doing in the areas we've outlined and more broadly are consistent with that. Thank you.

MINISTER KAMIKAWA (TRANSLATION): Thank you very much for the question. Now, on the energy transition issue, as global warming has been progressing and the world as a whole have come up with our global goal, and every country will take on the responsibility to implement what has been needed to do. And we have agreed on that. How the energy transition is to progress, each country has its own strategy. So we need to think about sectors where we can cooperate with them and we should cooperate. And as was stated earlier, with the ASEAN countries as well as with the Pacific Island nations, we need to work closely.

So on the whole, that response could be seen so with those thoughts in mind for the difficult projects we will like to render cooperation and we would discuss duly so that the transition could be progressed. And in the new digital era we would like to further advance our endeavours.

Deputy Prime Minister: I think the final question is also the ABC.

Journalist: Sorry, they knew someone else was asking, so they gave me some long ones. To Mr Marles and to Japan's Defence Minister too, did you discuss China's recent military incursions into Japanese airspace and territorial waters late last month? And what's your joint message to China on this conduct?

And on a related matter, earlier this year you outlined plans to conduct trilateral F-35 exercises as part of multilateral exercises in the US, Australia and Japan. Should we also expect that deployments of Japanese F-35s to northern Australia will be ramped up?

Deputy Prime Minister: I might lead, if that's all right, Minoru? We did speak about the recent incursions by the PLA into Japanese sovereign territory and we certainly expressed our support for Japan's sovereignty in that moment. And it really underlined our shared commitment to asserting the rules-based order in the Indo‑Pacific, in our neighbourhood. So much of what both of our defence forces are doing is ensuring that what we understand as the rules-based order – concepts like freedom of navigation, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but also a country's territorial integrity – are upheld and maintained. And we see a huge part of our cooperation going forward as being– asserting that rules-based order and sending a very clear message that that is what both Japan and Australia stand for. But to be frank, not just Australia and Japan, the countries of the region and, indeed, the world want to be in a world where disputes are resolved not by power and might but by reference to international law.

In respect of F-35s, I mentioned in my opening remarks that one of the outcomes of today's meeting was enhanced air engagement between our two air forces. We will see more training, more exercises, more people-to-people links between our two air forces. Last year we did have Japanese F-35s come to Australia in preparation for Australian F-35s then going to Japan as part of Exercise Bushido Guardian. We will look at further opportunities for us to see our air forces work together, including with our F-35s but not just our F-35s. There are other air platforms where we see that there is enormous opportunity for us to be able to cooperate together and to improve the way in which we operate by utilising those platforms.

Minister Kihar (Translations): Now, in our consultations this time in the topic of regional developments we have discussed on China. From my part, as a recent example, on the 26th of August the Chinese PLA Air Force aircraft have invaded into the Japanese territorial air. And also on the 30th of August the China PLA navy and a surveyor had a ship that has cruised in our territorial waters. I have explained this and we have shared very strong concern over these incidents. And for the East China Sea and South China Sea, any attempts at unilaterally changing the status quo by force or by coercion, we have put forward our strong opposition against that.

For F-35s, to go back to 2022, December, at the Japan-Australia 2+2 meeting the Air Self-Defense Force of Japan was thinking ahead for the rotation deployment of our units in Australia that we had to consider on our activities going forward. So based upon envisaging the future rotation deployment of our Air Self-Defense Force units we have also had the F-35s to reciprocally be dispatched. For the three countries – Japan, Australia and the United States – in each of their country to have exercise of F-35. In 2025, as Deputy Prime Minister [indistinct] and also Bushido Guardian in Japan. In 2026 in Australia Pitch Black. With all these exercises in mind we will be going ahead with our considerations based upon such efforts as for the rotational deployment of the Air Self-Defense Force air crafts, we would like to continue to have consultations between Australia and Japan.

Deputy Prime Minister: Well, thank you. That brings to an end the press conference. Can I just again on behalf of Penny and I thank Yōko and Minoru for being here. It's been an honour to host you. Really, today has been characterised by unanimity of purpose between the four ministers, and we are just so delighted to have you here in Queenscliff. So, thank you.