On Sunday, Australia, Japan, and the United States agreed to deepen their military cooperation in response to China's growing military influence, Azernews reports citing the VoA.

Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles hosted U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Japan’s Defense Minister Gen Nakatani for a trilateral meeting—the first of its kind to be held in Australia. Under the new agreement, Japan's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, a specialized marine unit, will be stationed in Darwin, Australia, to train alongside U.S. and Australian forces on a regular basis.

"This is a significant commitment to the region and the world, showing the dedication of our three countries to work together," said Marles, emphasizing the importance of building interoperability between the nations' military forces.

Lloyd Austin highlighted that the partnership would enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities, strengthening security efforts across the Indo-Pacific region. He praised the trilateral alliance for advancing a vision of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to bolstering regional alliances.

Australia, in particular, has been increasingly aligned with the U.S. in its efforts to bolster military capabilities in the face of a rising China. Along with the strengthening of its surface fleet, Australia is planning to acquire nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement with the U.S. and UK, further solidifying its military ties with the West.

While there has been concern that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump may alter or abandon the AUKUS pact in favor of his "America First" foreign policy approach, Australian officials expressed strong confidence that the agreement will remain intact.