China News Service, June 10. According to Kyodo News Agency, the governments of Japan and Australia held a consultation with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense (2+2 consultations) via video conference on the 9th, and agreed to add the Australian military to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. "Weapons and other protection" objects.
Australia will become another target country for the Japanese Self-Defense Force to provide "weapons and other protection" besides the United States.
According to the report, some opinions pointed out that in order to protect the Australian army, the scope of activities of the Self-Defense Force will be expanded and the risk of being involved in armed conflicts will increase.
Japan’s defense minister Nobuo told the media after consultations that “preparations for the implementation of the security mission are in place”, and he revealed that the specific implementation period will be judged based on the requirements of the Australian army.
The joint statement between the two parties clearly stated that they will advance the "four-sided mechanism" between Japan and Australia plus the United States and India. They also confirmed that they will strengthen cooperation in the economic fields such as the supply chain of important materials, and clearly stated that they will sign the agreement as soon as possible to allow the two countries' troops under joint training and other circumstances Smooth exchange of "Reciprocal Access Agreement."
In 2016, the Japanese government adopted the "Weapon and other protection" guidelines to allow the Self-Defense Forces to use weapons to "guard the U.S. military and other countries that "help Japan's defense activities" under the "gray area situation" of "before armed attack" ".
At the Japan-Australia defense ministers' meeting held in October 2020, the two sides reached an agreement on the principle of "weapon and other protection" provided by the Japanese Self-Defense Force to the Australian military.