Scott Morrison’s call with Japan’s Yoshihide Suga catches Beijing's ire

Scott Morrison’s call to Japan’s new PM Yoshihide Suga — the first by a world leader — has raised concerns in Beijing.

Yoshihide Suga is applauded after he was elected as Japan's prime minister on September 16. Picture: AFP

Scott Morrison’s phone call to Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga — the first by a world leader — has raised concern in Beijing about Tokyo and Canberra forming an “iron triangle with Washington” in the Asia Pacific.

An analysis published on the People’s Liberation Army’s news website China Military said there were “deep implications” in Mr Morrison and Mr Suga’s 20-minute-long, Sunday-night call, which it said “drew close attention in the international policy circle”.

In the piece Lyu Yaodong, a Japanese studies research fellow at the influential government think tank Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Mr Suga’s call to Mr Morrison — which was made before a Sunday night call to US President Donald Trump — revealed Japan and Australia’s shared awareness of the decline of American power relative to China.

“As Washington becomes less influential in the Asia Pacific, Tokyo and Canberra have to reaffirm its importance in the region and jointly prevent their alliance with the super power from becoming an empty shell,” wrote Lyu.

The Australian and Japanese governments have repeatedly confirmed the two countries’ close strategic partnership since Mr Suga’s long serving predecessor Shinzo Abe in late August announced he was stepping down as prime minister for health reasons.

Last week Marise Payne was the first foreign minister to talk to her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, after the English speaker was reappointed as foreign minister.

The Australian on Tuesday revealed Tokyo and Canberra are working on a plan for Mr Morrison to become the first leader in the world to meet Mr Suga, perhaps as early as late November.

That meeting of the two US allies — which could be delayed until January for domestic political reasons and coronavirus travel complications — will be closely watched in Beijing.

Reports in the Japanese media have said Suga will speak to Chinese President Xi Jingping on Friday.

In another sign of the new Suga administration’s desire to project continuity with the Abe era, an in-person gathering of the four foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue — made up of the US, Japan, India and Australia — will be held in Tokyo in early October.

Lyu said the summary of the Suga-Morrison call released by the Japanese foreign ministry indicated Japan and Australia would have a “closer and more regular” defence partnership, would be “tough on China over issues related to the East China Sea and South China Sea” and highlighted the “importance” to them “in shaping” the Quad grouping with the US and India.

The Beijing-based research fellow said the call showed Mr Suga’s “intention to form an iron triangle with Washington and Canberra to reinforce the country’s geostrategic control in Asia Pacific”.

With the November presidential election approaching, the Trump administration has become increasingly loud in championing its alliance network as a key strategic advantage over China.

In a rare public appearance, Miles Yu, a Chinese-born policy adviser to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, this week said an “alliance of democracies” was forming to counter China’s threat.

“We have countries like ... Japan, Australia, the U.K., Canada, EU, NATO and ASEAN organisation countries. We all share the same values,” the influential state department policy planner said.

“China has none that it can be trusted,” Mr Yu said in an online discussion hosted by Canadian think tank Macdonald-Laurier Institute.

“North Korea is useless for the (Chinese Communist Party) for the most part. Russia is playing a hard-to-get game with Beijing,” he said.