Australia and Japan are set to sign a “historic treaty” at a virtual leaders’ summit on Thursday to strengthen defense and security cooperation, a move seen to be a response to China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement that the signing of a Reciprocal Access Agreement with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida would “underpin greater and more complex practical engagement” between the two countries’ defense forces. “This treaty will be a statement of our two nations’ commitment to work together in meeting the shared strategic security challenges we face and to contribute to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific,” Morrison said. “It will, for the first time, provide a clear framework for enhanced interoperability and cooperation between our two forces.” The announcement came after Kishida canceled his trip to the United States and Australia due to a surge in the domestic and …