Fifty years after the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, Japan and Australia have built a partnership that extends beyond the economic foundations and is now anchored in energy interdependence, shared democratic values and strategic alignment.

The year 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the Australia–Japan Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation. The treaty was signed in Tokyo in 1976 by Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser and Miki Takeo.[1] It institutionalised an expanding post-war partnership and laid the foundation for the ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ between Japan and Australia. Over time, the bilateral relationship between the two countries has evolved from a resource-trade partnership into a more comprehensive alignment involving Indo-Pacific security, defence, critical minerals and supply chains.

Prime Ministers Tony Abbott and Shinzo Abe announced the Special Strategic Partnership in July 2014 to boost cooperation across political, security and economic arenas.[2] This partnership was built upon the 2007 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation and preceded the 2015 Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA). This brief evaluates the trajectory and strategic depth of Japan–Australia relations as they complete 50 years of their Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.

Historical Background: Economic Interdependence

The 1976 Treaty formalised regular high-level consultations, legal frameworks for investment and business, mechanisms for political dialogue, and institutional economic cooperation. It also symbolised reconciliation and transformation of wartime adversaries into economic partners widely anchored in shared democratic values and norms. In the aftermath of World War II, bilateral ties between Japan and Australia were normalised in 1957 through a Commerce Agreement.[3] The agreement established a trade partnership between the two countries. In the 1970s, Japan became Australia’s largest trading partner, especially for coal, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and Iron Ore.

After Japan’s post-war economic recovery, Australia became an increasingly reliable supplier of coal and agricultural goods. Japan’s imports from Australia were mainly agricultural products. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Japan was undergoing rapid re-industrialisation, which increased steel demand and, consequently, for energy resources. This development marked a crucial transition in Australia’s exports to Japan, shifting from agricultural goods to iron ore and coal. Japan accounted for approximately 50 per cent of Australia’s coal and iron ore exports by 1990.[4]

In the 1990s, LNG trade between the two countries also expanded, which deepened the energy nexus. Australia’s emergence as one of Japan’s largest LNG suppliers boosted Tokyo’s energy security.[5] The 2015 Japan–Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) further liberalised trade, signalling the centrality of economic cooperation.[6] The agreement provided preferential access for exporters in Australia.

Japan’s exports to Australia also evolved, with initial exports consisting of textiles and manufactured goods. From the 1960s onwards, Japan began exporting goods, including electrical equipment, machinery and automobiles, to Australia.[7] In recent times, Japan’s exports have included high-tech electronics. Economic cooperation between the two countries has expanded over time to include areas such as the green energy transition, the hydrogen supply chain, critical minerals, and supply-chain resilience amid geopolitical disruptions. Japan views Australia as a trusted supplier, and for Australia, Japan is its most trusted partner in Asia, particularly amid China’s expansionist behaviour.

Shift Towards Strategic and Security Cooperation

Japan–Australia security partnership is centred on shared strategic interests and concerns about regional stability in the Indo-Pacific. After World War II, both countries became close US allies under the US security umbrella, which laid the foundation for their security cooperation. Japan’s security was deeply anchored in the 1951 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the US and Japan, and Australia was linked to the US through the 1951 ANZUS (Australia, New Zealands and the US) Treaty.[8] Both countries, as US allies, shared strategic outlooks and threat perceptions, and this alliance framework led to a closer policy coordination.

Australia and Japan established a defence element in their bilateral ties in the 1990s, when Japan’s defence........

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