The leaders of Australia and Japan held in-person talks on Tuesday and reached a basic agreement on a bilateral defence pact that would allow their troops to work more closely, as the two US allies seek to bolster their ties to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Japanese counterpart, Yoshihide Suga, said the legal framework, called a Reciprocal Access Agreement, would allow their troops to visit each other's countries for training and joint operations.
It would also enhance their inter-operability and cooperation, they said. The deal is the first of its kind for Japan since its 1960 status of forces agreement with the United States, which set the terms for the basing of about 50,000 American troops to operate in and around Japan under the Japan-US security pact.
The two leaders also agreed to cooperate in tackling climate change, including "working together for a lower emission and zero emission future,"...MORE
