Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The United States and Australia took steps Tuesday to deepen their relationship, primarily militarily, as the Biden administration has sought to bolster ties with allies in the Indo-Pacific amid growing global competition with China. U.S. Secretary of Defense Antony Blinken and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin hosted their Australian counterparts for the 34th Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations in Annapolis, Md. Advertisement A joint statement following the meeting states there