Proposal for Japanese Troops to Deploy in Australia in Response to Increased Chinese Military Activity

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is planning to host the Japanese rapid-response maritime brigade along with U.S. marine rotations through northern Australia.

In addition, Exercise Orient Shield—the largest bilateral wargame between Japan and the United States—will now include Australia for the first time next year.

On September 5, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles hosted their Japanese counterparts near Melbourne for their annual talks.

These new announcements come as Beijing continues its unprecedented military build-up and repeated Chinese air force and navy incursions into Japanese territory.

Most recently, a Chinese survey vessel briefly entered territorial waters off Kagoshima prefecture on Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island.

Five days earlier, on August 26, a Chinese Y-9 surveillance aircraft breached Japanese airspace over a small island off Kyushu.

Beijing has denied any wrongdoing, stating that its vessel exercised its right to transit under international maritime laws.

Support for Japan’s Sovereignty

The incidents further escalate the tense relationship between Beijing and Tokyo, as China’s claims to territory in the Senkaku Islands are repeatedly contested by the Chinese Coast Guard.

“We have expressed our support for Japan’s sovereignty,” said Australia’s Marles. “We will witness more training, exercises, and people-to-people exchanges between our two air forces.”

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, through a translator, expressed the need to jointly strengthen deterrence capabilities in the region and leverage their partnership with the United States, a common ally.

As part of Exercise Bushido Guardian 2023, Japanese jet fighters visited Darwin, with Australia reciprocating the gesture.

Defence Minister Minoru Kihara stated that the latest agreement opens opportunities for closer ties and training exercises between Japanese, Australian, and American air forces.

Both countries also agreed to a new initiative focused on enhancing connectivity and cybersecurity in the Pacific, expanding information sharing, and taking more action to publicly identify those responsible for cyber attacks.

Senator Wong assured that Australia will continue to supply Japan with gas as global economies transition to renewable energy sources.

“Australia and Japan have historically maintained a significant economic relationship due to our position as a reliable energy supplier,” she explained.

Leaders from the QUAD nations—Australia, Japan, India, and the US—are scheduled to meet in the coming weeks.

AAP contributed to this story.