Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a $717 million defense deal on Monday, in an agreement that appears to align with the U.S. strategy to contain China in the Indo-Pacific.

The announcement came on the third day of Moon’s visit to Australia for the Korea-Australia Expanded Summit, during which the two sides agreed to upgrade their bilateral relations and address what Morrison called “mutual security challenges.” 

While the two sides’ joint statement does not name North Korea specifically, one expert told NK News that it nevertheless demonstrates Canberra’s efforts to “bolster deterrence” and expand