Japan and Australia are officially even better friends, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and visiting Japanese PM Shinzo Abe swapping compliments at an official dinner in Perth last night.
Japan and Australia are officially even better friends, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and visiting Japanese PM Shinzo Abe swapping compliments at an official dinner in Perth last night.
Mr Abbott, who earlier yesterday accompanied Mr Abe on a visit to Rio Tinto's joint Australian-Japanese iron mine, West Angelas, in the Pilbara, said the partnership with Japan had deepened in extraordinary ways in the past few days.
He said Mr Abe was his friend.
"But more importantly I can say with certainty and confidence that Japan is Australia's true friend and that Australia is Japan's true friend. We should never set limits on what we can achieve," Mr Abbott said at the dinner last night.
Mr Abe said he was much impressed with the vast size of Australia and the five hours it took to fly from Canberra to Western Australia.
"I was able to discuss a lot of topics with Mr Abbott and so five hours I think even made both countries' relationship much closer," he said.
Mr Abe said Australia had lifted the relationship with Japan with the signing of agreements on economic partnership and defence cooperation.
He said his grandfather visited Australia 57 years ago and signed the agreement of commerce.
"Since then both countries became true friends," Mr Abe said.
"I came away with the impression this time that the Australia people are very much convinced that Japan is a true friend."
Mr Abe's three-day tour of Australia is the first visit by a Japanese leader since 2002.
Rio Tinto is the largest supplier of raw materials to Japan.
Mr Abe especially asked to visit the Pilbara during his trip.
Speaking at Rio Tinto's West Angelas mine yesterday, Mr Abe said he had been amazed to see the iron ore for himself.
He said the Rio Tinto mine, a joint partnership with Japanese companies, symbolised the relationship between his country and Australia.
Mr Abbott said the historic collaboration between Australian mining "know-how" and Japanese capital and technology was a long-term one built on trust.
That's what he hopes will always characterise the relationship between Australia and Japan as well as good faith and confidence that "we will do what we say we will do".
Rio Tinto boss Sam Walsh said the company's iron ore business was born from Japanese investment and the company would never forget that support.
Last week, BHP Billiton commemorated sending its one billionth ton of iron ore to Japan, it's first customer when it started exporting in the 1960s.
