Japan, Aust. push closer defense ties

Koizumi arrived Tuesday evening for his first trip to Australia as Japan's leader

CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- Japan and Australia have vowed to work more closely together on bolstering security and defense in the Asia and Pacific region, particularly in concert with the United States.

At a joint media conference in the Australian capital Canberra on Wednesday, the prime ministers said they supported the concept of a "trilateral security dialogue" involving the three nations.

Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is in Australia for talks with leader John Howard to boost economic and political ties.

In a communiqué released Wednesday, the leaders said they "gave their strong support to United States' engagement and presence in the Asia-Pacific region, which underpinned regional stability."

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell first proposed a three-way defense pact in July last year.

China opposed the idea, however, because it was wary of any military moves by Japan, which it sees as too closely representing U.S. interests.

Prime Minister Howard said that Australia saw the security relationship with Japan "viz-a-viz the United States" as extremely important.

"And we again endorse the value of a trilateral security dialogue at the senior level," he said.

Howard said the format and details of such a dialogue had yet to be worked out.

China concern

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"But it is a concept that we are positive about and which was referred to positively in my discussions with the prime minister," Howard said, adding he did not think talks between the three nations would spark tensions with China.

"We don't see it as having negative connotations," he said.

"It's merely a natural expression of the fact that we have a number of security interests in common in the region. It should not be seen beyond that."

Prime Minister Koizumi said each country could play different roles in bolstering the region's security.

East Timor

Howard also said Australia "welcomes warmly" Japan's contribution of some hundreds of engineers in East Timor, as part of peacekeeping efforts in the former Indonesian province.

"We see that kind of security involvement of Japan in the region in an extremely positive light," he said.

He also repeated Australia's support for Japan becoming a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations.

"The most important thing about our relationship with Japan is that we have common values, common beliefs and practices," Howard said.

"We are both liberal democracies," he said, adding that the two countries had cooperated very closely in the fight against terrorism.