Australia’s defense minister visits a frigate in Japan as the countries boost defense ties

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YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) — Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles on Friday toured a Japanese navy frigate of the same Japan-made model that Australia has chosen for its new fleet, as the two countries step up military ties to deter China’s growing influence.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani hosted Marles for the visit aboard the JS Mikuma, a month after Australia chose Mogami-class frigates produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to replace Australia’s aging fleet of ANZAC-class warships.

The deal gave a major boost of confidence to Japan’s still-underdeveloped defense industry after it lost out on Australia’s submarine contract to a French company in 2016.

Joining Nakatani on the deck of the frigate, Marles said Australia had chosen the Mogami-class ships because of their capabilities, and the two ministers agreed to conclude the procurement contract as quickly as possible.

“The selection of the Mogami-class frigates as the general-purpose frigate for the Royal Australian Navy is genuinely a milestone moment in the bilateral relationship between Australia and Japan,” Marles said.

Japan has been accelerating its military buildup while expanding its defense ties beyond its only treaty ally, the United States. It now considers Australia to be a semi-ally.

Nakatani said the frigate deal strengthens supply chain cooperation between the two countries and contributes to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

Earlier Friday, the defense ministers joined Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong for security talks in which they pledged to expand joint military exercises and cooperation in energy and critical minerals.

They reiterated the importance of cooperating with the United States and raised concern over China’s assertive activities.

In separate talks between the two top diplomats, Iwaya and Wong signed an agreement aimed at strengthening their coordination in the evacuation of their nationals from overseas in case of emergencies.

Japan’s government has teamed up with Mitsubishi and other manufacturers to promote the frigate project. At a recent meeting held at the Defense Ministry, officials pledged their continued support for the contractors as they aim to finalize the contract early next year.

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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press video journalist Ayaka McGill in Tokyo contributed.