JAPAN and Australia signed a groundbreaking defense pact in Tokyo yesterday that the leaders of both countries stressed was not aimed at China.

“We hope what they’ve said is true,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news conference in Beijing, referring to Japanese and Australian assurances.

China does not pose a threat to other countries and more should be done to boost trust in Asia, Qin said.

“China pursues the road of peaceful development. The modernization of our armed forces is defensive in nature,” he said.

“We are not going to invade or pose a threat to anybody. We have nothing to be afraid of. We have nothing to hide.”

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister John Howard signed the agreement, Japan’s first such pact with a country other than the United States.

“The signing of the joint declaration on security and cooperation is a further milestone in the march of a relationship that really began in earnest 50 years ago,” Howard said.

Stressing the agreement did not diminish ties of either country with the their key security ally the United States, Howard said: “It should not be seen as being antagonistic to anybody in the region. It certainly is not. China should not see this declaration in an antagonistic light.”

The four-part defense agreement sets priorities for security cooperation in such areas as counter-terrorism, maritime security, border protection and disaster relief. It also sets out shared regional concerns.

Abe, who earlier said the deal was not aimed at reining in China, stressed it would help stabilize the Asia-Pacific region.

“The strengthening of our relations, particularly in the field of security, will contribute to stability and security not only for Japan and Australia but also for the region and the world,” Abe said.

Australia has said the pact may lead to intelligence sharing and the participation of Japanese troops in exercises on Australian soil, although both countries have pointed out that it will not be a mutual defense treaty like the one Tokyo has with Washington.

As the United States’ most loyal allies in the Asia-Pacific, both countries sent troops to Iraq, while the three countries have already tightened their ties through regular dialogue.

Japan and Australia are also to start talks on a free trade agreement next month, but the talks look set to be sticky given the potential impact on Japan’s politically powerful farm sector.

The trade deal would “have major merits in that it will ensure a stable supply to Japan of resources, energy and food,” Abe said. “But we both have to be mindful of sensitivities. For Japan, we must attach importance to agriculture.”

Japan is already the biggest buyer of Australian exports, and two-way trade in goods and services between the countries was worth about 4.07 trillion yen (US$34.7 billion) in the 2005/06 business year. Australia mainly exports coal, natural gas and beef and buys Japanese motor vehicles and machinery.

(SD-Agencies)