A high-profile trilateral meeting between the defense ministers of Australia, Japan and the United States in the northern Australian city of Darwin on Sunday underlined the advanced nature of US-led preparations for conflict with China.
Darwin has already become a major center of US military activity in the Indo-Pacific region. In 2011, President Obama visited the city after announcing in Canberra his “pivot to Asia” – a diplomatic, economic and military offensive against China. In Darwin, Obama heralded the “rotating” deployment of up to 2,000 US Marines, which has since occurred alongside a growing presence of US warplanes, warships and submarines in northern and western Australia.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles address troops in Darwin, November 2024 [Photo: X/@RichardMarlesMP]
Last weekend’s trilateral meeting focused on the integration of Japanese military forces with their Australian and US counterparts in Australia and the wider region. In their joint statement, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and his Japanese and American counterparts—Nakatani Gen and Lloyd Austin—made clear that their military preparations were directed against China, as well as Russia and North Korea.
The statement repeated Washington’s standard litany of accusations against Beijing, focusing in particular on ‘serious concern over destabilizing actions in the East and South China Seas, including dangerous conduct by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against the Philippines and others. ships of the coastal states’.
In reality, it was the Obama administration’s provocative statements and actions that dramatically transformed long-standing regional territorial disputes in the South China Sea into a dangerous flashpoint for a broader war. In parallel, the Japanese government escalated tensions with China in the East China Sea by nationalizing the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islets in 2012.
The joint statement also highlighted heightened tensions with China over Taiwan and condemned North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and its military assistance to Moscow amid the escalating US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine. . He also warned China against providing political or military support to Moscow, underscoring the increasingly global nature of the conflicts.
Significantly, the three senior defense officials announced regular trilateral consultations to support a realignment of “the political and operational objectives” of their militaries “from peacetime to contingencies.” Those “contingencies,” of course, include open conflict, under conditions in which the United States – supported unconditionally by Japan and Australia – is already in a de facto war with Russia and is supporting the expansion of the Israeli war in the Middle East.
In that context, the most significant announcement was the plan to conduct annual trilateral training of the amphibious forces of the three countries starting in 2025 with the Talisman Saber large war exercises. “Today we announced that there will be regular deployments of Japan’s Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade to Australia,” Marles told a news conference.
The focus on amphibious military forces – the US Marines and the newly established Japanese counterparts they have trained – points to the aggressive nature of US plans. The ability to mount amphibious landings is a necessary component of the Pentagon’s war planning against Chinese-controlled islets in the South China Sea, as well as possible operations against the Chinese mainland itself.
The so-called rotational deployment of US Marines to Darwin (a basing arrangement in all but name) puts them within striking distance of strategic naval “chokepoints” such as the Strait of Malacca to the South China Sea. They will now be joined by Japanese amphibious forces (reportedly around 600 soldiers next year), whose length of stay has not been announced.
The involvement of Japanese military forces in what is likely to become a semi-permanent presence in northern Australia as part of the US-led war effort is a clear violation of the so-called pacifist clause of the Japanese constitution. It has become increasingly a dead letter as Japanese imperialism has remilitarized in recent decades.
Although the presence of Japanese troops in Darwin has been in the news, the joint statement from the trilateral meeting made it clear that the integration of the three armies is progressing apace. This includes:
* Australian troops will increasingly participate in joint Japan-US war exercises in Japan, participating for the first time in Exercise Orient Shield in 2025—the largest exercises for land forces—and increasing their previous participation in other exercises.
* Trilateral intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance cooperation will be enhanced with the inclusion of Australian personnel in the Japan-US Bilateral Information Analysis Cell (BIAC).
* Trilateral air interoperability will be increased through “reciprocal deployments of air assets, such as fighter and transport aircraft, to the three countries beginning in 2025” at Exercise Cope North in Guam, Exercise Bushido Guardian in Japan, and Exercise Pitch Black in northern Australia.
* The three countries are also building “a networked air and missile defense architecture to counter the growing variety of threats across the Indo-Pacific.” Japan already hosts key elements of US anti-ballistic missile systems that are vital to the Pentagon’s nuclear war plans and Australia is investing heavily in long-range missile systems. An ‘inaugural trilateral regional live-fire air and missile defense event’ is scheduled for Exercise Talisman Saber in 2027.
Significantly, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin anticipated Japan’s inclusion in Pillar II of the AUKUS high-level military pact between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Pillar I involves the supply of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, while Pillar II will accelerate research and development of high-tech military technology.
Austin said at the joint press conference: ‘We hope that Japan will join Pillar II of AUKUS at some point in the not-too-distant future.’ While he was vague on details, he noted Japan’s possible involvement in quantum capability, collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) or teaming of unmanned and manned military aircraft, and Long Range Strike (weapons with advanced to attack with precision from a distance).
Although the trilateral meeting took place in the shadow of Donald Trump’s assumption of the US presidency, the new administration will undoubtedly continue the overall momentum of the war campaign against China. Trump, despite his occasional stance during the election campaign as a man of peace, has made no secret of his intentions to intensify the United States’ confrontation with China.
At the joint press conference, Marles stated that he believed the Trump administration would defend the alliance with Australia and the AUKUS pact in particular. The Australian government, he said, was “confident that a future administration will defend America’s place in the world.” When asked about Trump’s appointment of fascist Peter Hegseth as US Secretary of Defense, Marles declared that he looked forward to “working with him with enormous optimism.”
(Article originally published in English on November 18, 2024)
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Here are two PAA (Persuasive, Analytical, and Argumentative) related questions, on separate lines, for the provided text:
## Interview: Dangers of US-Led Military Buildup in the Indo-Pacific
**Introduction:**
Welcome to World Today News! Today we’re dissecting a recent trilateral meeting between Australia, Japan, and the United States, and its implications for global security. We’re joined by two esteemed guests, Dr. [Guest 1 Name/Title, specializing in international relations] and [Guest 2 Name/Title, specializing in military strategy/defense policy].
**Section 1: The Expansion of US Military Presence in the Indo-Pacific**
* **Host:** The article mentions the growing US military presence in northern Australia, including the deployment of Marines and plans for joint amphibious training with Japan. Dr. [Guest 1 Name], what are your thoughts on the motivations behind this increased military activity? Is it primarily a defensive measure, or does it signal a more aggressive posture towards China?
* **Host:** [Guest 2 Name], the article highlights that Darwin is strategically positioned near key maritime chokepoints. How crucial is this geographical advantage in the context of potential military conflict in the region? What kind of military strategies does this location enable?
**Section 2: Japanese Expansion and the reinterpretaton of its Constitution**
* **Host:** The article points to the increasing involvement of Japanese military forces in the region, which raises questions about Japan’s traditionally pacifist constitution. [Guest 1 Name], can you elaborate on the evolving role of Japan in international security and the public debate surrounding its military expansion?
* **Host:** [Guest 2 Name], there is concern that reinterpreting the pacifist clause of the Japanese constitution sets a dangerous precedent. What are the potential risks and benefits of this shift, both for Japan and for regional stability?
**Section 3: AUKUS and the Technology Race**
* **Host:** AUKUS, the trilateral agreement between Australia, the UK, and the US, is focused on sharing advanced military technology. [Guest 1 Name], how does this pact contribute to the broader US strategy in the Indo-Pacific? Does it escalate tensions with China or is it a necessary counterbalance?
* **Host:** [Guest 2 Name], what are the implications of including Japan in Pillar II of AUKUS, specifically regarding new technologies like quantum capabilities and long-range strike weapons? How might this influence the regional arms race?
**Section 4: Impact on Global Security and China’s Response**
* **Host:** The article mentions that the US, Australia, and Japan see China as a primary security threat. [Guest 1 Name], how does China perceive these military build-ups and alliances? What are the potential risks of further escalating tensions in the region?
* **Host:** [Guest 2 Name], looking ahead, how can we prevent this escalating military buildup from leading to a larger conflict? What are some diplomatic solutions or confidence-building measures that could be pursued?
**Concluding Remarks**
* **Host:** We want to thank Dr. [Guest 1 Name] and [Guest 2 Name] for their insightful perspectives on this complex and pressing issue. The expansion of military activity in the Indo-Pacific has far-reaching consequences, and it’s crucial to critically analyze the underlying motivations and potential ramifications.
**Call to Action:**
* **Host:** We encourage our viewers to join the conversation and share their thoughts on this critical issue.
Please note that these are just sample questions and can be adjusted based on the specific expertise and viewpoints of your chosen guests.
