Australia, US and Japan strengthen military cooperation

CANBERRA

Australia, Japan and the U.S. have committed to closer military cooperation in training their forces as the countries deepened their ties in a bid to counter China's military strength.

Australia's Minister of Defense Richard Marles hosted the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japan's Defence Minister Gen Nakatani, yesterday for the trilateral ministers' meeting, the first to be held in Australia.

Under the new agreement, Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, an elite marine unit, will be deployed to Darwin to regularly work and train alongside Australian and U.S. forces.

"It is a very important statement to the region and to the world about the commitment that our three countries have in working with each other," Marles said.

Austin said the partnership would increase intelligence "surveillance and reconnaissance activities" between the three countries.

Canberra has drawn ever nearer to longtime ally the United States, bolstering its military in an attempt to deter the might of a rising China.

Besides rapidly developing its surface fleet, Australia plans to deploy stealthy nuclear-powered submarines in a tripartite deal with the United States and Britain known as AUKUS.

Some fear U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could jettison or try to rewrite the pact, returning to his "America first" style of foreign policy.

But Australian officials said this month they have a "great deal of confidence" that the pact will remain.