Japan, Australia sign deal to promote defense cooperation

Singapore, The Gulf Observer: Japan and Australia on Sunday reached a deal to simplify procedures for joint technical studies on defense equipment, with the aim of promoting bilateral cooperation amid China’s military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles signed the memorandum at their meeting in Singapore on the margins of the three-day Asia Security Summit from Friday, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

For Japan, it is the second such defense pact following one with the United States, according to the Defense Ministry.

Tokyo and Australia have been stepping up their security collaboration.

In January last year, the Japanese and Australian leaders concluded a reciprocal access agreement to enable smoother and faster deployment of troops for joint training and disaster relief efforts.