Scott Morrison and Shinzo Abe to deepen ties on defence
Australia will deepen defence and space ties with Japan on Thursday in a virtual meeting between Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.
Australia will deepen defence and space ties with Japan on Thursday in a virtual meeting between Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as China accuses Canberra of “ridiculous disinformation” over its latest travel warnings.
The Prime Minister’s push to deepen engagement with Japan comes after his $270bn defence pivot to build up Australia’s defence in the face of a more aggressive China and volatility in the Asia-Pacific region.
The agreement comes as the Chinese government hit back at warnings by the government that Australians should be wary of travelling to China for fear of facing “arbitrary detention”.
Government sources told The Australian Mr Morrison and Mr Abe are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on space co-operation and will look at deepening defence and security ties.
“The meeting will build on and reaffirm the importance of our Special Strategic Partnership in a time of global economic and strategic uncertainty,” Mr Morrison said in a statement.
“Prime Minister Abe and I will discuss our shared experiences responding to the COVID-19 crisis and ways we can work together, with other regional partners, to help ensure an open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
“We will discuss ways to co-ordinate our assistance in the Pacific and Southeast Asia to strengthen health systems, and promote economic resilience and recovery.
“I also look forward to discussing with Prime Minister Abe opportunities to further deepen our defence and security ties.”
Mr Abe has moved to strengthen his nation’s defences — limited by the dismantling of Japan’s armed forces after World War II — in the face of a rising China.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian has rejected the government’s updated travel advice, which was issued following the arrest in Beijing of Xu Zhangrun, a prominent critic of China’s President Xi Jinping with close ties to Australia.
The DFAT advice, which also warns Australians against travelling overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic, says Australians should not travel to China as Beijing had detained foreigners for allegedly “endangering national security.”
The travel alert warns Australians already in China and considering returning home to “do so as soon as possible by commercial means”.
The Chinese embassy in Canberra also blasted the ramped-up travel warnings, with a spokesman on Wednesday saying only people who broke laws in China, such as drug smugglers and spies, risked arrest and all other citizens were safe.
“We have noted Australia‘s updated travel advice regarding China, which asserts that Australians may be at risk of arbitrary detention.
“This is completely ridiculous and disinformation,” he said.
“Foreigners in China, including the Australians, as long as they abide by the Chinese laws, have no need to worry at all.
“However, those who engage in illegal activities, such as drug smuggling or espionage, will be dealt with according to the laws in China, as is the case in all other countries.”
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