Japan, Australia and the US sign trilateral defense technology pact

Japan, Australia and the US have signed a trilateral defense and technology cooperation pact, a joint statement said on Friday.

The pact was signed at a joint meeting of defense chiefs in Hawaii on Thursday, the Japanese Defense Ministry statement said.

Defense chiefs Richard Marles of Australia, Kihara Minoru of Japan and Lloyd Austin of the US signed the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Arrangement during their 13th trilateral defense ministerial meeting.

“Collaboration in science and technology is critical to maintaining their collective edge and deepening their defense cooperation,” the statement said.

Under the new cooperation, the three ministries will “further discuss opportunities for cooperation in the field of collaborative fighter aircraft and autonomous systems and composite materials for space travel,” the report said.

Marles, Minoru and Austin also discussed China, North Korea and the disputes in the then South China Sea, expressing their “strong opposition to any attempt” by Beijing to “unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion” in South – and eastern China repeated. Seas, the statement said.

They stressed the “importance of peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait and called for a “peaceful resolution of issues between the two countries,” the report said.

The trio reaffirmed their “enduring commitment to a peaceful, secure and prosperous Southeast Asia, where sovereignty is respected, international law is upheld and countries can make decisions free from coercion,” the statement said.