It maintains significant ties with ASEAN and has become steadfastly allied with New Zealand, through long-standing ties dating back to the 1800s. The country also has a longstanding alliance with the United States of America.
An enduring alliance with the United States (US) remains Australia's most important defence relationship and continues to act as a crucial force multiplier for Australian Defence Force (ADF) capability.
Bilateral relations
The Australia-China bilateral relationship is based on strong economic and trade complementarities and longstanding community and cultural links. In 2014, the Australian Prime Minister and Chinese President agreed to describe the relationship as a "comprehensive strategic partnership".
Shared membership of important global and regional multilateral forums including the G20, APEC and the EAS. Australia has a mature relationship with Russia that allows us to confront our differences directly when necessary but work constructively where our interests intersect.
In 2014, Australia was granted NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner status as a 'valuable, capable and reliable partner', alongside Finland, Georgia, Jordan, Sweden and Ukraine. Australia's relationship with NATO continues to evolve in response to today's complex security environment.
Since that time, United States has been the most important security ally. The close security relationship with the United States was formalized in 1951 by the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security (ANZUS) Treaty which remains the cornerstone of Australian security arrangements.
Although Australia is not a member of NATO, it has cooperated with NATO forces by sending military units to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Japan describes Australia as its most important security partner after our common ally, the United States. Australia and Japan cooperate closely bilaterally and trilaterally with the United States, including through the Trilateral Strategic Dialogue.
Australia does not possess any nuclear weapons and is not seeking to become a nuclear weapon state. Australia's core obligations as a non-nuclear-weapon state are set out in the NPT.
They acknowledge two distinct maritime boundaries conclusively delimited by the Australia–New Zealand Maritime Treaty of 2004. In 2017, a major poll showed that New Zealand was considered Australia's "best friend", a position previously held by the United States.
Australia is a consistent supporter of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and is proud to have contributed important defence, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in response to Russia's unilateral, illegal and immoral invasion on 24 February 2022.
The Japanese first attacked the Australian mainland on 19 February 1942 when they launched a devastating air raid on Darwin in the Northern Territory.
We also make a significant contribution to scientific advances globally. Despite having just 0.3 per cent of the world's population, we contribute to more than 4 per cent of the world's published research. Ingenuity is our nation's superpower.
The answer is no, they are not assessed to be nuclear targets in the sense in which Senator Chipp asked his question.
The GFP index denotes Australia as a Top 20 world power. For 2023, Australia is ranked 16 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.2567 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/05/2023.
Australia and India have a positive defence relationship, underpinned by the 2006 Memorandum on Defence Cooperation and the 2009 Joint Declaration on Security Co-operation.
Australia and the Republic of Korea (ROK, also known as South Korea) are comprehensive strategic partners with a strong bilateral relationship underpinned by trade, shared regional strategic interests, and strong people-to-people links.
Australia and Italy are two highly developed and complementary G20 economies with robust international engagement and enduring people-to-people ties. Australia and Italy established diplomatic relations in 1959.
Located on the rim of the Pacific, Japan is not eligible to join NATO because of its geographical location. However, Japan has a close partnership with NATO. Japan is a member of “partners across the globe” along with such countries as Australia.
Six EU member states, all who have declared their non-alignment with military alliances, are not NATO members: Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta, and Sweden. Additionally, Switzerland, which is surrounded by the EU, has also maintained their neutrality by remaining a non-EU-member.
The Russia–NATO relations started to deteriorate, following the Ukrainian Orange Revolution in 2004–05. In October 2021, following an incident in which NATO expelled eight Russian officials from its Brussels headquarters, Russia suspended its mission to NATO and ordered the closure of the NATO office in Moscow.
Switzerland and the UK, too, are quite similar to us. But some of the other countries that end up looking quite similar to Australia might surprise you – Estonia, Latvia, and Chile, for example. Ultimately, there's no one right answer to the question of which countries are most similar to Australia.
Australia's history is different from that of many other nations in that since the first coming of the Europeans and their dispossession of the Aboriginals, Australia has not experienced a subsequent invasion; no war has since been fought on Australian soil.
Australia has worked with our partners to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its actions. International unity has underpinned the effective response to Russia's invasion.
Half of all Australians in 2021 had more than $400,000 in wealth. It means we have the highest median wealth of all the countries studied.