20-11-2020 | 13:16 PM
Japan - Australia Defence Pact
Context:
Japan and Australia are to sign the "Reciprocal Access Agreement" to fight China's increasing dominance in the South China Sea and the Pacific Island.
The security deal has taken six years to sign. This would push countries together in the wake of militarization in the South China Sea and a series of tensions over islands in the East China Sea.
Key Highlights:
This is Japan's first agreement to authorise international military presence in its sovereign territories since 1960. It concluded a Forces Status Agreement with the United States in 1960 and with Djibouti in 2009.
The agreement would pave the way for the renewal of the Japan-US Forces Status Agreement.
India-Australia Relations:
The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement was signed by India and Australia in June 2020. It is similar to the Agreement on Reciprocal Access between Japan and Australia. The deal called for mutual access to military bases. It also allowed the military to use the bases of each other to replenish resources and repair.
India has signed similar defence agreements with the United States, Singapore and France.
China in Pacific Islands
In the last two decades, China has expanded its presence in the Pacific Islands. Between 2006 and 2017, China provided USD 1.5 billion in foreign assistance to the Pacific Islands. As of 2017, China is the third largest donor to the Pacific Islands.
