Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison may agree a historic defence pact on Tuesday that will closely align two key US allies in Asia as a counter to China’s growing influence in the region, The South China Morning Post reported.

Morrison arrives in Japan on Tuesday where security experts expect him to conclude a Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) with Suga to establish a legal framework for each other’s troops to visit for training and to conduct joint military operations, the newspaper reported.

“There will be something to announce from the meeting,” a Japanese foreign ministry official told a media briefing, without elaborating, as quoted by the newspaper.