Question : Recently Australia signed a defence pact with which of the following country to counter China?
a) India
b) Japan
c) Philippines
d) South Korea
Answer: (b)
Related Facts:-
- On 17 November 2020; Japan and Australia agreed for defence cooperation to deal with China ‘s ambitions to exhibit itself as a great power.
- In a bid to counter China’s growing influence a landmark defence pact known as the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) has been signed between the two countries.
- This agreement has been signed by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison.
- China is continuously flexing muscles in the South China Sea and over the Pacific island nations nowadays.
- The Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) comes weeks after foreign ministers of the Quad alliance, which includes the US and India, met in Tokyo.
- Australian Prime Minister said that both the countries have reached an agreement in principle on a defence treaty.
- They are confident that this treaty will strengthen their security ties and facilitate cooperation between defence forces, Sputnik reported.
- Mr Morrison said in a statement that this landmark defence treaty will further deepen the countries’ strategic and security relationship.
- This defence agreement has taken six years to negotiate and would need to be ratified by lawmakers of both countries.
- Australian Prime Minister again asserted that this agreement will pave the way for a new chapter of advanced defence cooperation between our two countries.
- The only other such agreement that Japan has struck with another country is with the United long ago.
- The significance of the RAA cannot be understated. It will form a key plank of Australia’s and Japan’s response to an increasingly challenging security environment in our region.
- Without mentioning Beijing, the statement also expressed serious concern about the situation in the South China Sea.
- They reconfirmed their strong opposition to any coercive or unilateral attempts to change the status quo and thereby increase tensions in the region.
By – Rajesh Tripathi
Link:-
https://www.pm.gov.au/media/reciprocal-access-agreement