Japan and Australia pledged Friday to beef up defense cooperation as the regional security environment has worsened amid China's rapid military buildup in the Indo-Pacific.During a gathering in Tokyo, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also agreed with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong that the two U.S. security allies will deepen cooperation in the fields of natural resources and energy.Kishida held talks with Marles, who doubles as deputy prime minister, and Wong, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said, as China is trying to bolster its military clout and ch…READ FULL ARTICLE
