Scott Morrison and Shinzo Abe to deepen ties on defence

In the australian tonight, hopefully scomo is building consensus in the region for our little EOS & asking for funds for the space projects........


Australia will deepen defence and space ties with Japan on Thursday in a virtual meeting between Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, as China accuses Canberra of “ridiculous disinformation” over its latest travel warnings.

The Prime Minister’s push to deepen engagement with Japan comes after his $270bn defence pivot to build up Australia’s defence in the face of a more aggressive China and volatility in the Asia-Pacific region.

The agreement comes as the Chinese government hit back at warnings by the government that Australians should be wary of travelling to China for fear of facing “arbitrary detention

• AGENCIES

Government sources told The Australian Mr Morrison and Mr Abe are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on space co-operation and will look at deepening defence and security ties.

“The meeting will build on and reaffirm the importance of our Special Strategic Partnership in a time of global economic and strategic uncertainty,” Mr Morrison said in a statement.

“Prime Minister Abe and I will discuss our shared experiences responding to the COVID-19 crisis and ways we can work together, with other regional partners, to help ensure an open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

“We will discuss ways to co-ordinate our assistance in the Pacific and Southeast Asia to strengthen health systems, and promote economic resilience and recovery.

“I also look forward to discussing with Prime Minister Abe opportunities to further deepen our defence and security ties.

Mr Abe has moved to strengthen his nation’s defences — limited by the dismantling of Japan’s armed forces after World War II — in the face of a rising China.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/scott-morrison-and-shinzo-abe-to-deepen-ties-on-defence/news-story/18b4b398a5ca73f152c1e9736ac34581