中国の海洋進出けん制　日米豪比防衛相が会談

　日本、米国、オーストラリア、フィリピン４カ国の防衛相は２日（日本時間３日）、米ハワイで会談し、東・南シナ海への進出を強める中国を視野に、安全保障分野のさらなる協力を確認した。４カ国の防衛相会談は２回目。自衛隊と米豪比各軍は４月に南シナ海で共同訓練を実施している。
　防衛省が３日、発表した。南シナ海で相次ぐ中比両国の船舶衝突に懸念を表明。４カ国による「海上協同活動」の継続についても意見を交わした。（2024/05/03-20:40）

The defense ministers of Japan, the United States, Australia and the Philippines agreed to deepen their security cooperation at a meeting in Hawaii on Thursday, an apparent effort to counter China's advances in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
   Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin separately met and agreed to strengthen command and control coordination between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military.
   Kihara and Austin agreed that Japan and the United States will hold talks on defense industrial cooperation at an early date. They also agreed that the two countries will discuss extended U.S. deterrence, including its nuclear umbrella, when their foreign and defense ministers meet next.
   Separately, the Japanese, U.S. and Australian defense ministers signed an agreement to jointly promote research and development on advanced defense technologies.
   In a joint statement, the three ministers welcomed planned trilateral exercises involving the three countries' F-35 jet fighters.