AUSTRALIA, the US and Japan have agreed to stronger defence ties and jointly called for a peaceful settlement of maritime disputes in the Asia-Pacific region.
THE meeting between Tony Abbott, Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 summit came a day after the US President vowed use "every element" of America's power to ensure peace and stability. Mr Obama also said regional security shouldn't be based on "coercion or intimidation ... where big nations bully the small, but on alliances for mutual security".
By the end of this decade, the US is set to deploy most of its navy and airforce to the region. The three leaders agreed on Sunday - at their first trilateral meeting since 2007 - to boost joint military exercises. In the statement, they urged "freedom of navigation and over-flight, and the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in accordance with international law".
China is in dispute with four South East Asian countries over territories in the South China Sea, and with Japan over another set of islets. "The three leaders reaffirmed the global reach of their cooperation and the value of comprehensive US engagement in the Asia-Pacific region," the statement said.
A trilateral military exercise is understood to be planned for June 2015 in Queensland. Australia's interest in Japan as a possible supplier of replacement submarines for the Collins class is also understood to have come up.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a speech to parliament in Canberra on Monday, where he will outline his vision for the region and commitment to peace and stability. President Xi has also signalled a closer defence relationship with Australia, which is a major trading partner. Prime Minister Abbott told the two other leaders at the start of the meeting: "It's good to be here with two such economic and strategic partners."
They also resolved to tackle the spread of Ebola, Islamic State extremists as well as Russia's annexation of Crimea and actions "to destabilise eastern Ukraine". The first leader-level trilateral dialogue between Australia, the US and Japan took place in Sydney, involving Mr Abe, John Howard and George W Bush.
