The US, Australia and Japan have renewed vows on tripartite security cooperation and urged peaceful resolutions of maritime disputes, an allusion to China's territorial rows with its neighbors. This developed as Beijing continues to advocate a dual-track approach for the settlement of disputes in the South China Sea, and rejects all external interference.
Meeting in Brisbane on the sidelines of a Group of 20 leaders' summit, US President Barack Obama, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott expressed their commitment to deepen the already strong security and defense cooperation between the three countries, according to a joint statement released by the White House.
According to the leaders, the three countries will enhance cooperation on trilateral exercises, maritime security capacity building and maritime domain awareness.
Despite making no direct mention of China, in their joint statement the trio called for "peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in accordance with international law."
Enhanced military cooperation between the three countries forms a major part of Washington's rebalancing to Asia policy, with a specific focus on constricting China, according to analysts.
"The three leaders reaffirmed the global reach of their cooperation and the value of comprehensive US engagement in the Asia-Pacific region," said the trio's Sunday statement.
The three-way talk came a day after Obama said in a speech that there were genuine dangers in Asia, with "disputes over territory - remote islands and rocky shoals - that threaten to spiral into confrontation."
Su Hao, the director of the Asia-Pacific Research Center at China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), expects more cooperation between the trio, particularly in supporting the Philippines' recent push for international arbitration in the South China Sea dispute.
In an effort to settle maritime disputes in the South China Sea, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Thursday pushed China's dual-track approach at the East Asia Summit in Myanmar, wherein disputes are to be solved through negotiations between the countries directly concerned, while the region's peace and stability are upheld through cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.
An opinion piece published in the People's Daily Monday said it was the first time a Chinese leader has offered this approach to the settlement of the disputes, a fact which is of huge significance to the region.
"Solving territorial disputes between the countries directly concerned is consistent with international law and practice," said the article. "In accordance with Chinese and relevant international practices, settlement as a result of bilateral negotiations is more likely to be accepted by concerned governments and peoples, causes less resistance and is more sustainable."
Jiang Ruiping, the vice president of the CFAU, told the Global Times the dual-track approach is meant to counter the US' desire to put maritime disputes on the international community's agenda, and is likely to win support among ASEAN nations.
Jiang also added that the approach is in line with a new security vision for Asia put forth by Chinese President Xi Jinping in May, which stresses the role played by Asians in building security in the region, and is viewed as a rejection of outside interference.
Su shared similar sentiments, adding that he believes China's recent initiative to establish a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is aimed at building economic ties with ASEAN countries and seeking their support for China's maritime policies.