Japan, Australia sign accords on defence equipment, free trade

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott signed bilateral accords on Tuesday to boost cooperation on defence equipment and technology and free trade after they held summit talks in Canberra to bolster bilateral ties, Kyodo news agency reported.
On the second leg of his three-nation tour of Oceania, Abe said in a speech to the Australian parliament that he hopes to make Japan-Australia a new "special relationship," and stressed the importance of the rule of law, a veiled criticism of China. He became the first Japanese leader to address the parliament.
Abe also explained Japan's recent move to reinterpret the pacifist Constitution to enable its Self-Defence Forces to come to the aid of allies under attack in collective self-defense.