- China has said it is “gravely concerned” by reports that Japan may rejoin the AUKUS security agreement.
- AUKUS is a defense partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- The organization is set to discuss collaboration with Japan on a military project.
China’s Foreign Ministry has said it is “gravely concerned” by reports that Japan may join AUKUS, a security and defense pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Formed in 2021, leaders of the accord have said it was not created to challenge any particular country, although it is widely seen as a counterbalance to China’s position in the Indo-Pacific .
The first step of the deal, or “pillar,” is to help Australia acquire its first fleet of nuclear-powered, conventionally-armed submarines.
The organization announced Monday that it plans to consult with other countries, including Japan, about the possibility of working together on a new military capability project called Pilar II.
Aukus said in a press release that it was “considering” Japan’s involvement, which could involve work on quantum technologies, undersea capabilities, AI, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic technologies and capabilities. electronic warfare.
Biden is expected to discuss Japan’s involvement in the project with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House on Wednesday, the South China Morning Post reported.
At a press conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to reports that Japan could join AUKUS as a member.
“China is seriously concerned about this,” she said in part of the statement.
“We oppose relevant countries concocting exclusive groupings and stirring up confrontation between blocs. Japan must seriously learn lessons from history and remain cautious on military and security issues,” she added.
Japan’s participation in this initiative could be crucial to its success. As Financial Review notes, Japan is one of the most “technically advanced” countries in the world and is considered a leader in AI, robotics and quantum computing.
Japan’s military power also has advantages. The country’s defense budget has increased over the past 12 years, now equating to an increase in military spending of $56 billion, according to figures released by the US Naval Institute cited by Forbes.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese clarified that working with Japan would not mean recruitment.
“What is being proposed is to look at ‘pillar two’ of AUKUS and look at it on a project by project basis to see if there would be a commitment, and Japan is a natural candidate for that to happen. produce,” Albanese said, according to Reuters.
“What is not proposed is to expand the number of AUKUS members,” he added.
Separately, an unnamed Japanese government official told Reuters that formal discussions on joining the deal as a member were unlikely to take place because “nothing has been achieved with AUKUS yet.”
The official said adding a new member “would only disrupt the cooperation framework that is supposed to be its basis.”
There is also the question of confidentiality. According to Reuters, officials and experts said Japan must maintain better cyber defenses and stricter rules on confidentiality of government secrets to be able to participate in the deal.
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