Japan wants India to join talks with US, Australia

SYDNEY: Japan wants India to join its security talks with Australia and the United States while insisting the dialogue is not meant to isolate China, a source said.

US President George W. Bush, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe are to meet Saturday over breakfast for talks set to focus on security issues including North Korea and China.

It will be the first time their nations' security dialogue has been at the level of leaders, a step-up that has irked Beijing.

While backing plans to continue dialogue among the three countries at least at ministerial levels, Tokyo says quadruple talks with India will also contribute to the region, the source said on condition of anonymity.

"India shares common interests -- liberalism and democracy -- with us," Mitsuo Sakaba, a spokesman for Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, also told AFP.

All four countries should now get together to discuss "regional situations and what we can cooperate," he said.

"If we can hold such a forum regularly, it will contribute to peace and stability of the region," he added.

Government officials of the four countries have already begun initial dialogues, separate from the three-way talks.

Saturday's three-way talks are being held on the margins of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Sydney gathering 21 Pacific rim leaders.

Sakaba sought to reassure Beijing the move was not provocative. "The trilateral talks are not directed at any specific countries," Sakaba said.

"The talks are just another step forward (toward) achieving stability and prosperity in the region."

Besides the issue of regional security, climate change is likely to be high on the agenda, Sakaba said.

APEC members remained deadlocked over a common statement on climate change to be issued by their leaders at the end of a weekend summit.

Howard and Abe will hold separate talks on Saturday and are expected to announce measures to cement their security cooperation, including peacekeeping operations, natural disaster measures and border security, another Japanese government official said.

Japan and Australia are close US allies which supported the Iraq invasion, and the two nations signed a security pact in March.

It was Tokyo's first such agreement with any country besides its main ally, the United States.