Japan and Australia pledge closer security ties to counter Indo-Pacific risks

5/9/2025 15:39

Australia and Japan on Friday said they would deepen cooperation to address increasing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including assisting each other in evacuating citizens at risk overseas.



"We agreed to further strengthen our collective deterrence capabilities and to activate discussions on potential contingencies that could affect the security of both countries and the region," Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said.



His comments came after a meeting in Tokyo that also included Japanese Defence Minister Gen Nakatani and their Australian counterparts, Penny Wong and Richard Marles.



Japan and Australia, both close allies of the United States, are forging closer ties as China's regional influence expands. Their cooperation includes joint military training and a reciprocal access agreement signed in 2023 that allows their forces to operate on each other's territory.



Japan and Australia are also members of the Quad grouping alongside the United States and India.



Last month, Japan clinched a landmark A$10 billion deal to build warships for Australia, marking Tokyo's most consequential defence sale since it ended a ban on military exports in 2014.