Australia and Japan sign major defence pact

Australia and Japan have signed off on a major defence agreement against the backdrop of rising tensions with China.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement cements the relationship between the two countries as one of the most important and strongest in the Indo-Pacific.

It will allow Australian troops to operate from Japanese bases and vice-versa and also includes cooperation on naval war games and aviation exercises.

The deal is the first of its kind, which Japan has entered into with another country.