Australia PM: Defence pact with Japan won't hurt China

SYDNEY, Mar 11 (Reuters) A defence pact between Australia and Japan will not jeopardise the country's ties with China, Australia's Prime Minister John Howard said today.

Howard will sign a defence agreement, which is expected to include greater intelligence sharing and joint training exercises in Australia, with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during a three-day visit to Tokyo.

Howard is due in Japan late today.

''I don't think anybody in their wildest imagination would suggest that our relations with China aren't very good and very close,'' Howard told reporters in Sydney.

''But our relations with Japan are very good and very close -- and bear in mind that Japan is a democracy who shares many things with us that are special.

''Because of that I don't expect there will be any enduring sensitivities on the part of China any more than there are any enduring sensitivities on the part of China in respect of our close alliance with the United States.'' There has been concern -- mainly from Australia's Labor opposition -- that closer security ties with Japan may hurt Canberra's relationship with China, with which it has flourishing diplomatic and military ties.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the pact was not aimed at China and that the defence agreement with Japan would focus on areas like counter-terrorism, dealing with emergency relief and peacekeeping.

''This isn't directed at China, it needs to be looked at in the context of our bilateral relationship with Japan,'' Downer told a local television today.

''There is a very strong relationship with Japan that's in Australia's interest and it's not directed at anybody else.'' Japan is the biggest buyer of Australian exports and the two countries, which did 4.07 trillion yen (34.4 billion dollar) of trade in 2005, plan to start discussions on a free trade deal next month.

REUTERS SP PM1448