CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday he will discuss with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida strengthening their bilateral defense and security partnership to counter a more assertive China when the leaders meet in Australia this week.
Kishida will make the first visit to Australia by a Japanese prime minister since Shinzo Abe in 2018 when he arrives Friday in the west coast city of Perth, officials said.
“Prime Minister Kishida and I will discuss ways to strengthen our cooperation and achieve our shared vision for a peaceful, stable, climate resilient and prosperous Indo Pacific,” Albanese said in a statement.
Kishida and Albanese will consider further implementing the Reciprocal Access Agreement, a security cooperation pact Kishida struck in January with then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that removes obstacles to…
