Australia and Japan are set to sign a “historic treaty” at a virtual leaders’ summit on Jan. 6 to strengthen defense and security cooperation, a move seen as a response to China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo–Pacific region.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement that the signing of a reciprocal access agreement with Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida would “underpin greater and more complex practical engagement” between the two countries’ defense forces.
