Defense Chiefs Of Japan, Us And Australia To Meet In Hawaii

Japan's defense minister will meet his US and Australian counterparts on Sunday to boost defense cooperation of the three countries amid China's increasing influence over the Pacific island nations.
Hamada Yasukazu said on Friday that he will leave for a three-day trip to Hawaii later in the day, and hold talks with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles on Sunday.
The talks will be the first among the three countries' defense chiefs since June, when they met in Singapore, and the first since Hamada assumed office.
He said he hopes to hold candid discussions on concrete measures to strengthen trilateral cooperation for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.