Australia and Japan have a great partnership built on strong pillars

Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga meet in Tokyo in November last year. Picture: AFP

Australia is a plum post for Japanese diplomats. It is even more so for Japanese business people. Before I departed Tokyo for Canberra, I tried to meet executives of every big company doing business in Australia. To my surprise, everywhere I went I was greeted by the chairperson and/or president of those companies. Without exception, all of these executives emphasised how important Australia was to their businesses and expressed fond feelings towards their partners from Down Under.

Since my arrival at the end of last year, I have met many Aussie business people and heard similar sentiments expressed towards their Japanese counterparts.

For a long time, Australia has served as a reliable supplier of raw material and energy, while Japan has made a long-term commitment to Australia through technology transfer and employment opportunities. Japanese investment is increasing and is on par with British investment, behind only that from the US. This mutual trust is a great asset to both countries and our people.

Shingo Yamagami in Darwin. Picture: Gary Shipway

With this as a background, Scott Morrison became the first foreign leader to pay a visit to new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. We intend to reciprocate the visit this year to further consolidate the personal relationship both leaders established.

Aussie-Japanese economic relations are rapidly expanding in scope and depth. These include energy-related investment of an unprecedented scale, such as the Ichthys project in the Northern Territory, and new types of investment such as building a smart-city in western Sydney and producing hydrogen in Victoria for shipment to Japan. The three mega-banks of Japan are leading the list of providers for project financing.

Space also has emerged as a new frontier for co-operation. The possibilities for Japan and Australia to co-operate on emerging low-emissions energy technologies are endless.

The economy is but one pillar supporting the relationship. Security co-operation is a relatively new and fast-growing pillar. Australia and Japan are natural partners since we share basic values such as democracy, a market economy, respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as strategic interests in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Joint exercises and the transiting of the South China Sea are examples of this partnership.

Australia and Japan also co-operate in the East China Sea to prevent any ship-to-ship transfer in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions regarding nuclear weapon and missile development by North Korea. Japan is delighted that Australia partici­pated in the Malabar maritime exercises with India, the US and Japan last year for the first time in 13 years. The situation surrounding Taiwan remains a concern because any reckless or coercive action there could affect the peace and stability of the entire Indo-Pacific region. This increases the importance of Australia and Japan working together.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement is to institutionalise the framework for activities including joint drills and training in both countries. Its long-awaited conclusion will pave the way for enhanced co-operation between the Australian Defence Force and the Japan Self-Defence Forces.

Another pillar related to security co-operation is intelligence co-operation. As the former head of the Intelligence and Analysis Service of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, I appreciate the importance of such co-operation.

Then there is the pillar of co-oper­ation in multilateral and regional forums as well as inter­national co-operation. Australia and Japan will work together to expand the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and to ensure the successful implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to better reflect our mutual interest in advancing a high standard of trade liberalis­ation and rules-making. As staunch believers in the rules-based multilateral trading system, Australia and Japan are committed to the reform of the World Trade Organisation, including its dispute resolution mechanism. Should he be elected as OECD secretary-general, Japan would be delighted to work closely with former finance minister Mathias Cormann.

We are also stepping up co-operation with Indo-Pacific countries. Australia’s Pacific step-up initiative as well as its Southeast Asian development partnership program and the greater level of Australian engagement with that region are encouraging. Japan is also expanding diplomatic, economic and security engagement in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Tripartite co-operation with the US has led to projects such as the extension of the branch submarine line from the US-Singapore to Palau. Our co-operation on this project will be a significant step towards the realisation of our shared goal of constructing high-quality infra­structure to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Aussie-Japanese relations are developing at a remarkable speed in breadth and depth. Indeed, there is much Australia and Japan can accomplish together. I shall not spare any effort to advance this great partnership.

Shingo Yamagami is ambassador of Japan to Australia.