A top adviser to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has visited Australia for discussions on deepening security ties, as Japan looks to win a government contract to replace the quasi-ally’s aging frigates.
Akihisa Nagashima, special adviser to Ishiba, visited Canberra and Perth from Tuesday through Saturday, meeting with officials from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the prime minister’s office, as well as the country’s director-general of national intelligence, according to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo.
The visit was also seen as another move by Japan to up its game in the race for the multibillion-dollar Australian frigate contract. Japan, together with Germany, are the finalists in the bid to jointly develop the new frigates with Australia. Canberra is expected to make a final decision on the matter by the end of the year.
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