Australia and Japan look set to deepen defence ties as Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles will meet with his Japanese counterpart Shinijiro Koizummi on Saturday (6 December) during a two-day visit including of tour around a Nagasaki shipyard.
The meeting confirmed by his office on Friday will focus on strengthening cooperation and mounting global security challenges.
Talks are expected to build on the 2022 Australia-Japan Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, and outcomes of the Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting on 5 September 2025, according to the official website of the Australian Government.
"Our relationship with Japan continues to grow from strength to strength – underpinned by close strategic alignment, mutual ambition and enormous potential," the Australian Defence Minister said ahead of the trip.
"I look forward to meeting with Minister Koizumi to progress our already strong defence relationship even further," he concluded.
Meanwhile, Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters that, "At this meeting, we plan to share the understanding of the regional situation between the two countries and hold concrete discussions for further progress in Japan–Australia defence cooperation."
Koizumi said that defence industrial cooperation will also feature in the talks as Richard Marles will visit Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki shipyard.
Earlier this year, on 5 August, Australia awarded a A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) contract to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build new warships.
The industrial group has been Tokyo’s most significant defence export since it lifted its military export ban in 2014.
Japan is one of the leading shipbuilding countries in the world, currently ranking third after China and South Korea, accordng to Statista.
It's reported Canberra plans to deploy the Japanese-built Mogami-class frigates to secure key maritime trade routes and bolster defences in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where China’s military presence continues to expand.
The meeting comes as Japan faces its sharpest diplomatic rift with China in years, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could prompt a military response from Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Australian officials confirmed that Canberra wants to engage early with the government of Takaichi, who became the first female Prime Minister of Japan on 21 October, 2025.
They also noted that Japan and Australia have a "shared vision for our region."
Marles is then expected to travel to Washington for talks with U.S. and British defence chiefs on the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine programme.
The visits follows an Australian government announcement that a major defence department overhaul will accelerate naval shipbuilding.
U.S. President Donald Trump has condemned but refused to apologise for a racist video briefly posted to his Truth Social account, insisting he had “...
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to ...
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline...
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, pro...
“Having a good security relationship with the United States is of utmost importance for the Japanese as a whole,” said Professor Seijiro Takeshita of the University of Shizuoka, highlighting the strategic stakes ahead of Japan’s national election.
U.S. President Donald Trump gave his “complete and total endorsement” of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday (5 February) ahead of Japan’s national election on Sunday, backing the country’s first female premier as she seeks a fresh mandate for controversial spending plans.
Heavy snow continued to batter northern and western Japan on Saturday (31 January) leaving cities buried under record levels of snowfall and prompting warnings from authorities. Aomori city in northern Japan recorded 167 centimetres of snow by Friday - the highest January total since 1945.
Japan and Britain have agreed to deepen co-operation on critical mineral supply chains and economic security, as both countries seek to reduce vulnerabilities in global trade and strengthen ties with like-minded partners.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Ukraine and Russia carried out a rare exchange of 314 prisoners on Thursday as U.S.-brokered talks in Abu Dhabi closed with a pledge to resume negotiations soon, offering one of the clearest signs of diplomatic movement in months.
The United States and Iran are set to hold nuclear talks in Oman on Friday after Tehran requested a change of venue and a strictly bilateral, nuclear-focused format, a move that is fuelling questions about Iran’s negotiating strategy.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 7th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal met with senior U.S. officials in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss strengthening military and security cooperation, regional developments and the challenges facing Lebanon, the Lebanese army said on Friday.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment