Japan has previously signed only one such deal with key ally the United States in 1960

Australia and Japan say they have reached broad agreement on a defence pact that will allow their forces to train in each other’s territory, as both countries seek to navigate tensions with an increasingly assertive China.

Once it is finalised and then approved by Japan’s parliament, the agreement will mark the first time in 60 years that Tokyo has approved a deal permitting foreign troops to operate on its soil.

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