‘A good and effective defence’: Japan in talks to join AUKUS

Australia, the US, and the UK are expected to announce they will launch formal talks to collaborate with other countries on advanced defence technologies, with a strong focus on working with Japan. “A great idea and remember it’s not to do with the nuclear submarines if I can make that obvious point, it’s to do with technology transfer and co-development,” said former Howard government minister Peter McGauran. “It does send a strong message to China, the inclusion of Japan will not be missed by China, to put it mildly,” Mr McGauran told Sky News Australia. Former Labor advisor and Hawker Britton Director Simon Banks said Japan is a “really obvious first and natural additional partner to the trio that we currently have”. “I actually hope we think about whether there are other Western nations who can suitably join this partnership as well,” he said. “The more we work together, the better we have a good and effective defence, the less likely it is that the things that we don’t want to have happen will happen.”