Australia's Defence Minister will fly north again to meet his Japanese and United States counterparts this weekend, just months after their last trilateral meeting was met with speculation about talks of a new alliance.
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The frequent visits have been prompted by increased Chinese military activity in the South China Sea and Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone and more strident language from the Chinese government about Taiwan.
Richard Marles hopes to reinforce the existing deep defence ties with Japan, including the recent signing of a reciprocal access agreement and Japan's first participation in an air domain war games exercise called Pitch Black.
"The current challenging strategic circumstances mean that alignment between our nations has never been stronger, or more important," Mr Marles said.
He said he looked forward to the meeting to "further drive our ambitious outcomes for trilateral cooperation."
They will also discuss enhancing interoperability allowing their militaries to communicate electronically, including sharing intelligence, command and control.
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After the last meeting in Singapore at the regional security Shangri-La Dialogue, Richard Marles then visited Tokyo and met with Japan's previous defence minister Kishi Nobuo in June, and met with US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin in Washington in July.
At the last trilateral meeting the ministers opposed coercion and destabilising behavior that undermine a rules-based international system, objected to China's maritime activities in the South China Sea, and were united in response against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Bringing them back together for the 11th trilateral meeting is a new Japanese minister in Hamada Yasukazu.
Mr Marles will reaffirm Australia's commitment to growing the defence partnership with Japan at his first meeting with Mr Hamada.
"We are working closely together to further strengthen our Special Strategic Partnership with Japan across the security, economic and people-to-people domains, and I look forward to seeing our partnership continue to grow," the minister said.
In addition to invitation to Australia's wargaming, the ADF also supported Japan's humanitarian and disaster relief response in Tonga following the Polynesian country's huge volcanic eruption in January.
A separate bilateral meeting with the US Defence Secretary will focus on evolving the Australia-United States Alliance to ensure both partners are best positioned to contribute to stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.
"Australia and the United States will continue to work bilaterally, and with our regional and global partners, to ensure an inclusive, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific," Mr Marles said.
"I am committed to evolving the Australia-United States Alliance to respond to the tougher strategic environment.
"Our network of alliances and partnerships is a key strength in promoting our vision for an inclusive, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific."
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Harley Dennett
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
