Australia, Japan and the U.S. on Sunday committed to closer military cooperation in training their forces as the countries deepened their ties in a bid to counter China's military strength.

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Japanese troops will begin regular deployments in northern Australia as part of military cooperation with Australia and the U.S., Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday.

Japanese troops will regularly deploy to train alongside US rotational forces in Australia’s north starting from 2025, the latest move by the three nations to strengthen their security ties in the face of growing strategic competition with China.

Up to 600 Japanese troops will begin annual rotations through northern Australia under a significant upgrade to regional military ties.