PERTH, Australia -- A new joint declaration by Japan and Australia to deepen their security cooperation has clearly established a quasi-alliance between the two countries.
The move highlights the growing importance of cooperation between Japan and Australia, which share common values such as democracy and the rule of law, as the international order is shaken by a rising China and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"Australia is a central pillar of cooperation among like-minded countries," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Saturday at a summit with his counterpart, Anthony Albanese.
