Marles, Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani and US defence secretary Lloyd Austin will discuss co-operation in exercises, operations, technology and the defence industry among other things, according to statement from Marles’ office.

Sunday’s meeting in the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory would be the 14th of its kind between the three nations, it said, adding that bilateral meetings would also be held with each country.

At the last trilateral, held in Singapore in June, the nations expressed serious concern about security in the East China Sea and said they opposed “any destabilising and coercive unilateral actions” there.

The same month, Japan lodged a protest against Beijing after it said Chinese vessels carrying what appeared to be cannons had entered its territorial waters in the East China Sea surrounding disputed islands that which Tokyo calls the Senkaku and Beijing calls the Diaoyu.