Just days after China paraded a flurry of advanced new weapons, Japan and Australia have agreed to take defense and security ties to new heights and cooperate on evacuating each other's nationals from third countries in the event of a crisis.
In their first "two-plus-two" meeting since September 2024, the countries’ top diplomats and defense chiefs committed Friday to stepping up defense relations, both bilaterally and with their common ally the United States, and deepening collective deterrence amid shared concerns over the “increasingly severe” security environment in the Indo-Pacific region.
“We have agreed to elevate the special strategic partnership between our two countries, looking forward to next year as the 50th anniversary of the Basic Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation,” Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told a joint press briefing in Tokyo.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.