Japan, US & Australia Issued Joint Statement Against CCP’s Maritime Expansion

According to NHK news on June 11, Japanese Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo, US Defense Minister Austin and Australian Defense Minister Marles, who were attending the “Asian Security Commit” in Singapore, held talks and issued a joint statement in the afternoon on the day.

In the statement, the three defense ministers said they were concerned about the increasingly complex security environment in the East China Sea as well as the attempts to change the status quo. At the same time, in consideration of Communist China’s maritime expansion, they strongly opposed any coercive and unilateral actions that increased tensions.

They also expressed serious concerns about the situation in the South China Sea and strongly opposed the CCP’s claims and activities regarding its illegal maritime interests.

They also emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and encouraged peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.

In addition, the three leaders confirmed that they would promote practical measures to ensure security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Specifically, they will strengthen joint training among the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and US and Australian forces to improve combat readiness. Furthermore, in the collective activities of the three countries, for the first time, Japan Self-Defense Forces implemented the task of using weapons to protect the ships of other countries under the framework of relevant laws and regulations on security.