Australia's new ambassador to Japan said Friday that his government is wary about China's "destabilizing" actions around Taiwan, calling for international cooperation to ensure regional security.

"Our position is very clear that any conflict or miscalculation or use of violence to change the status quo would be catastrophic," Ambassador Justin Hayhurst said in an interview with Kyodo News, ahead of a summit of Quad leaders from Australia, India, Japan and the United States later this month.

China views Taiwan as a renegade province to be reunited with the mainland by force if necessary.

Tensions over Taiwan have been rising, especially after China conducted a series of war games around the island in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last month.

Australian Ambassador to Japan Justin Hayhurst speaks in an interview in Tokyo on May 12, 2023. (Kyodo)

Hayhurst, who officially took his post last month, said he is "concerned about actions that China has taken that are destabilizing, whether in relation to Taiwan or in the South China Sea," adding that it is vital to "support peace and stability and avoid conflict and aggression."

He also raised concerns about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying there is a "clear connection between what happens in that conflict...and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific."

The Quad summit among four major Indo-Pacific democracies is scheduled to be held on May 24 in Sydney.

The meeting will follow a Group of Seven summit from May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima, with Japan inviting Australia as an outreach country.

"At a time of uncertainty and risk, in the absence of very well-developed regional security mechanisms, then, partners need to work together in collaboration to protect and advance" their security, foreign policy and economic interests, Hayhurst said.

In the upcoming Quad summit, he said, a "new initiative" will be advocated to advance agendas such as regional security, maritime security and cybersecurity.

China has criticized the Quad, saying that countries should not form "exclusive and closed circles," and that it is striving to establish an Asian version of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Amid such a deteriorating security environment, Japan's parliament last month approved legislation for a defense cooperation agreement with Australia, in a veiled counter to China's military rise and aggressive posture in the Indo-Pacific.

The pact sets rules for the transportation of personnel, weapons and supplies. The ambassador said Australia expects to complete its ratification and conduct joint exercises with Japan by the end of the year.


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Quad leaders' meeting to be held in Sydney on May 24