 I'm Rory Metcalf, Head of the National Security College here at the Australian National University. It's my real pleasure to welcome today Professor Satoshi Morimoto, former Defence Minister of Japan. Professor Morimoto is one of the key speakers from Japan at a conference we're hosting here at the college today on the future of trilateral security relations involving the United States, Australia and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region. Now obviously with the uncertainties that the Trump Administration brings to US policy settings in Asia and the world. Plus of course the anxieties that many countries in Asia understandably hold about Chinese power and Chinese assertiveness in recent years. It's a really important time for US allies and partners to get together to talk about how to manage these uncertain and difficult times. And that's really the theme of our conference here today. So I'm going to ask a few questions of Professor Morimoto regarding his own perspectives on these issues. Professor, thank you for joining us and welcome to the National Security College at ANU. I might ask you firstly about really the Trump Administration and the alliance between Japan and the United States. This is an alliance of long standing. It's been extremely important for Japan's security and for regional stability in our shared Indo-Pacific region. What's your view on how Japan is likely to approach the challenges and the uncertainties and maybe the opportunities that the Trump Administration brings? Well still both countries share the common security concern in the Indo-Pacific region. The most serious concern is China, especially Chinese advancement to the blue ocean, especially South China Sea, East China Sea, India ocean as well. And this is the most important security policy to meet and to react to this kind of challenge. At the present and the future associated with each other. And already Japan and the U.S. has almost a half century of very close security relationship between both countries. But recent years Japan and Australia and the U.S. and Australia security cooperation and relationship is close to close each other. I think this is a very important timing to make trilateral security ties and cooperation to deal with future challenges and instability in the Indo-Pacific region as well. Of course number two is North Korea. North Korea has a double approach including nuclear development and missile development and also economic reform. Unfortunately they are not successful economic reform. But in addition to in that region we have another type of concern including cyberspace and outer space and sea range of communication and human rights as well. I think we share the almost all national interests among three nations and also even Americans intend to revitalize their military forces due to the defense budget difficulties. I think they cannot maintain the same modernized military posture in the Asian Pacific region. So both Japan and Australia has to make some compensation to help and assist roles and mission of U.S. forces in Indo-Pacific region. I think this is a most important agenda for three nations security direction in the future. Thank you Professor. I think something I have observed recently is that Prime Minister Abe of Japan has been very active in his strategic diplomacy with visits to Australia, to Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and of course very active forward-leaning efforts to engage with the United States under President Trump. What do you think the purpose of Prime Minister Abe's strategic diplomacy is including in relation to the new Japanese strategic policy statement about a free and open Indo-Pacific region? I think we have two background. One is that China also expands the influence to most of the ASEAN countries, especially Cambodia, Laos and recently Myanmar and Thailand. But we would like to the other ASEAN countries, especially Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia to our side. Our side means that Australia, U.S. and the American side to share the similar national interest and economic prosperity and freedom of navigation in order to sustain the peace and stability and prosperity in the region. Our Prime Minister made a very energetic constructive foreign policy approach to the some ASEAN countries in order to improve their capability and also some technology revolution and economic reform. I think we share the most of national interest and values with these countries and we increase exchange of personnel. I think this is a very strong encouragement for our Prime Minister. We make a very active role to encourage most of the ASEAN countries to our side. That is the first one. The second is that this country unfortunately has not to possess any effective and comprehensive military might to deal with military threat, especially by China. If you look at the huge prospect of this region, this region is a maritime area. All of Ireland is an island country. And we have a comprehensive approach to maintain safer sea range of communication, not only in the ASEAN but also in South China Sea, in East China Sea to encourage the ASEAN countries to help our military or defense cooperation activity with us. I think this is not some sort of associated regional structure to meet the Chinese threat, but I think as we are close to the ASEAN nation, not only defense posture as well as defense spending and also transfer of defense equipment. I think this is very helpful to jointly, militarily maneuver and activity in the region. I think this is another motivation to make a very active role to play. Thank you. I think my final question is really about the relationship between Japan and Australia, but also the potential to connect a Japan-Australia security relationship with other third countries. Not only with the United States, where we have an established trilateral security mechanism, but also perhaps with countries like India or South East Asian countries. So I guess my question is, this is the 10th anniversary this year of the Australia-Japan Joint Security Declaration. What do you see as the opportunities to keep strengthening the Australia-Japan security relationship? And perhaps, how can we link that to additional countries? Well, I think it is a little bit to say that premature, but as I said, the U.S.-Japan security relationship is one of the most successful security ties, not only in the Asian Pacific region, as well as in the international community. I think our relationship, especially Japan and Australia's security relationship, is the next to U.S.-Japan security arrangement. If possible, we would like to make a broad sense of alliance relationship between Japan and Australia, associated with each other to supplement U.S. roles and functioning in the Indo-Pacific region in the future. This is our common interest and values, and also this is the most important major to sustain and maintain our peace and stability and prosperity in the region. In this sense, so far, we have many agendas between Japan and Australia, especially already, we have axe-meaning or signed, but in addition to we have many agenda, new agreement to make more progressive bureaucratic procedure between both, especially the both countries have to receive military forces in their soil applied by new agreement, which is corresponding to U.S.-Japan status agreement. Also, if we rent some facility in Guam, Ireland, we have more close security ties among U.S.-Japan, Australia. And also United States is thinking to transfer and deploy some U.S. Marine Corps to the South China Sea as a rotation for three months, twice in every year, beginning next year. And maybe U.S. Marine Corps stopover our Okinawa, Hawaii, and also Darwin in this country. And so we have to help and assist U.S. military presence in the Asian Pacific region. And I think this is the most important deterrence capability we reinforce in the future. In addition to we have many agenda such as joint military exercise and also joint development and production of defense equipment and technology, and also some personnel exchange, especially expert or military forces. And also using AXA, we have more close security activities for each other. I think we have a lot of agenda. We have to promote these kinds of agenda for the both countries. I think this is timing to change nature of bilateral relations between Japan and Australia to joint U.S. presence in the region. In this context, I think Trump administration would maintain re-balancing policy in the Asian Pacific region. I think new defense secretary indicates re-examining re-balancing, but I think re-balancing policy is the most useful and effective U.S. policy to maintain the deterrence capability in the Asian Pacific region in the future. Thank you very much, Professor. And that's a very thoughtful tour of the horizon on these issues. Thank you again for contributing to our conference. Thank you.