On September 10, 2025, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles inspected the Anduril "Ghost Shark" stealth submarine at the Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Cooimbra base in Sydney, Australia (Reuters)

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles will visit Japan on Saturday to meet with Japanese Defense Minister Shigeyoshi Kōno. In light of increasing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, the two allies aim to advance bilateral defense cooperation.

The Australian government's news release on Friday stated that Canberra is seeking to establish contact with the new government led by Prime Minister Takahiro Kurimoto as soon as possible and added that in the face of "increasingly complex global challenges," Australia and Japan share a "common vision for our region."

"Our relationship with Japan continues to strengthen, thanks to close strategic alignment, shared aspirations, and great potential," said Marles.

"I look forward to meeting with Minister Kōno to further advance our already strong defense relationship," he added.

At a press conference before the meeting, Kōno stated, "We plan to share our understanding of the regional situation and have specific discussions on further development of Japan-Australia defense cooperation."

In August, the government led by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build 11 Aegis-class destroyers. Australia will purchase 11 ships to enhance the strength of the Royal Australian Navy, reportedly valued at 10 billion Australian dollars (about 6.5 billion US dollars).

This deal is the largest defense export since Japan lifted its military export ban in 2014, marking Japan's further departure from its post-World War II pacifist stance.

The first three destroyers will be built in Japan, with the first one planned to be delivered to Australia in 2029 and put into service in 2030. The remaining ships are reported to be built in Western Australia.

Kōno said that Marles will visit the company's shipyard in Nagasaki, southern Japan, during his visit.

The Aegis-class warships are described as "larger and deadlier" than Australia's current Anzac-class frigates, advanced stealth frigates capable of launching long-range missiles with an operational range of 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 kilometers).

The Australian military plans to use the Aegis-class destroyers to protect important maritime trade routes and strengthen its northern defenses in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific - while China is expanding its military presence in these regions.

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Over the past decade, relations between Beijing and Canberra have been tense, with repeated disputes over national security and broad interests in the Pacific region.

Despite attempts to improve relations - Australia and China announced that their relationship "has improved" in July when Beijing hosted Albanese - tensions remain, especially regarding the disputed South China Sea.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong criticized China for projecting military power in the Asia-Pacific region "without the transparency expected by the region" in a speech on Tuesday.

"China continues to consolidate its strategic influence through economic and security means, and increasingly frequently projects its military power further into our region," Wong said.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian previously stated that Beijing has no military strategy in the Pacific Islands region and that Canberra should not be concerned.

Mars is expected to visit Washington next week to meet with the defense ministers of the United States and the United Kingdom to discuss the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program.

A U.S. official said on Thursday that the Pentagon has completed its review of the plan to deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and identified areas that would place the plan on the "strongest possible foundation."

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Source: Al Jazeera + News Agency

Original: toutiao.com/article/7580631281000579622/

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