Japan and Australia: Forging an Indo-Pacific Partnership

Defined as a “special strategic partnership,” the Japan-Australia relationship is qualitatively distinct from many of Tokyo’s other bilateral relationships. In particular, it exhibits features that mark it out as a security alignment and perhaps even a “quasi-alliance,” in that it is sustained by the two countries’ relationships with the United States. This chapter argues that the Japan-Australia partnership has developed as a multi-faceted alignment mechanism founded upon shared interests and values. It encompasses a full spectrum of functions and, moreover, represents an attempt by the two countries to promote an “Indo-Pacific” vision, which embodies their shared worldview and common agenda for action.