Japan, Australia vow support for Philippine Coast Guard amid maritime tensions
MANILA, Philippines — Japan and Australia have vowed to continue supporting the Philippine Coast Guard amid what they see as China's efforts to "normalize risky actions" toward the Philippines in the South China Sea.
In a joint statement on Thursday, September 5, the defense and foreign ministers of Japan and Australia also expressed concern over China's "dangerous and coercive" actions toward the Philippines and emphasized the importance of adhering to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
This comes after Australia's defense minister, Richard Marles, and its foreign minister, Penny Wong held a 2+2 ministerial meeting on the same day with their Japanese counterparts: Defense Minister Kihara Minoru and Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoku.
The four ministers discussed Australia and Japan's bilateral relations and shared regional concerns, including China's recent aggression toward the Philippines that has been taking place "with high frequency" in the disputed waters.
"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," Wong said in a joint press conference.
The four ministers also stressed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight in the region and resolving disputes peacefully in line with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In 2016, a tribunal constituted under UNCLOS dismissed China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, including parts referred to as the West Philippine Sea.
China rejects the ruling and, over the years, has stepped up efforts to assert its "rights" by sending dozens of coast guard and maritime militia vessels to the disputed waters.
The two countries' foreign and defense ministers reiterated their support for the 2016 arbitral tribunal award that favored the Philippines against China, saying it is "final and legally binding on the parties to the dispute."
“We opposed any coercive actions that could escalate tensions and undermine regional stability, including the militarization of disputed features," the joint statement read.
During the meeting, the two countries also agreed to broaden their security cooperation and use all diplomatic and strategic tools to prevent conflict and maintain peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
The ministers also pledged to collaborate with Southeast Asian nations to strengthen regional economic, security, and climate resilience in response to evolving security challenges.
On Tuesday, September 3, Wong expressed serious concern over the rapid pace of China's military modernization, which lacks the "transparency or reassurance that the region expects."
"And we see growing military cooperation between China and Russia, and China’s efforts to normalise dangerous actions towards the Philippines and Taiwan," Wong said.
"Behaviour speaks louder than words. And we share our region’s concerns that these activities stand in contrast to stated and shared objectives of peace and prosperity," the Australian foreign minister added.
In response to Japan and Australia's joint statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said China expects defense and security cooperation between nations to promote peace, stability, and mutual trust.
"China believes that defense and security cooperation between countries should be conducive to keeping the region peaceful and stable and nurturing mutual trust between regional countries, and should not target any third party," the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said.
In July, the Philippines boosted its defense ties with Japan by signing the historic Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan that allows the armed forces of both countries to be deployed on each other's soil.
Meanwhile, the Philippines and Australia signed a deal in February that allows both countries to “maritime cooperative activities" to sustain peace and stability in the region.
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