On April 18, Japan and Australia signed a warship agreement, which is not good news for China!

On the same day, Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba held talks with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Richard Marles in Melbourne, confirming the signing of a contract to jointly develop a new class of naval vessels for the Australian Navy based on Japan's latest "Mogami"-class frigates, along with the related implementation documents.

According to Kyodo News, under this cooperation, the new warships are planned to be initially built domestically in Japan, effectively constituting a frigate export. Under the agreement, Japan will construct a total of 11 "Mogami"-class frigates for the Australian Navy—three in Japan and the remaining eight at the Henderson Defense Base in Western Australia—with the first ship expected to be delivered to the Australian Navy in 2029.

According to various media reports, this deal is massive in scale. TRT Chinese News reported that the agreement amounts to 10 billion Australian dollars (approximately 7 billion US dollars), marking Japan’s most significant military export since lifting its long-standing defense export ban in 2014.

In my view, this is not favorable news for China. From security dialogue mechanisms to the Reciprocal Access Agreement, from frequent joint military exercises to intelligence sharing, and now extending to defense equipment collaboration and industrial chain integration, a comprehensive institutionalized security network is rapidly taking shape between Japan and Australia.

This warship features a 32-cell missile vertical launch system capable of firing multiple types of missiles, meaning Australia now possesses the ability to conduct "decapitation strikes from thousands of miles away," adding another pair of eyes watching over China in the Western Pacific. More critically, the upgraded "Mogami"-class can easily accommodate U.S.-made missile systems, including vertical launchers—making it tailor-made for Australia, a close ally of the United States.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862799739761728/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.