Australia and Japan are expected to sign a treaty to beef up military cooperation at a virtual summit on Thursday. Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled his trip to Australia and the United States due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the two sides will sign a Reciprocal Access Agreement. The deal is expected to set out a framework for defense forces of the two sides to cooperate. Both countries agreed to the treaty in principle back in 2020. The two sides also plan to discuss cooperation on clean energy, technology, and materials. China's Foreign Ministry commented on the treaty, expressing hope for peace and stability within the Pacific region.