PACIFIC ALLIES Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles (left) and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi shake hands after their joint news conference at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday, June 15, 2022. AP PHOTO
TOKYO: Japan's and Australia's defense chiefs on Wednesday vowed to strengthen their relationship to support democratic values in the Indo-Pacific region and agreed to work more closely with Southeast Asia and the Pacific island nations, where China is seeking to expand its influence.