Golez: The coalition against the bully is building up. Abe, Turnbull affirm opposition to South China Sea buildup
Abe, Turnbull affirm opposition to South China Sea buildup
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull met Friday in Tokyo.
TOKYO -- Japan and Australia stand united against further buildups by China and others in the South China Sea, and will step up cooperation on defense to that effect, Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Malcolm Turnbull said on Friday.
The duo expressed their "strong opposition to any coercive or unilateral actions that could alter the status quo in the South China Sea," in a joint statement following talks here. They "called on all claimants to halt large-scale land reclamation or construction" in the area -- without naming China in particular.
Abe and Turnbull also "encouraged continued progress" toward an early conclusion on measures to "facilitate joint operations and exercises" between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the Australian military. Turnbull mentioned that Canberra's decision among Japan or other nations vying to build the country's next-generation submarine will likely come in the first half of 2016. Trilateral defense dialogues with both the U.S. and India were also touched upon.
Turnbull completed in a day his first trip to Japan since taking office in September. The whirlwind visit was largely designed to demonstrate that the close bilateral ties seen under former Prime Minister Tony Abbott will be maintained by the new government. Abe expressed gratitude for Turnbull's "stance prioritizing Japan," thanking him for honoring his "promise of an annual visit, despite his busy schedule."
During the talks, Turnbull also conveyed "Australia's deep disappointment with Japan's decision to conduct whaling in the Southern Ocean this summer." Abe insisted that a resumption of whaling is appropriate, explaining Japan's position on the legal and scientific grounds for its new whaling program. Last year, the International Court of Justice had ruled that Japan's previous whaling program was in violation of international law.
(Nikkei)
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