On January 6, Australia and Japan signed bilateral defense and security agreement, termed as “Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement” (JA-RAA)[1] that grants reciprocal access between Australian Defense Forces (ADF) and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan (SDF)[2]. The underlying goal of the pact is to advance ‘security of their shared strategic interests’[3] in the broader Indo-Pacific region via opting for an assertive foreign policy to counter Chinese military assertiveness which the pact identifies as ‘the uncertainty both the states face now in the Indo-Pacific.’[4]
What does the JA-RAA entail?
RAA enables ‘extended deployment’ and allied support as part of the Indo-Pacific extended network policy. Article V of the agreement provides for ‘access by the vessels or aircraft of their forces to ports or airports’[5] to extend their reach and military influence in the Indo-Pacific. JAA provides Australia with maritime extension into the East China Sea, while it already has a military presence in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.[6]
