The strategic interests of Australia, Japan and South Korea (AJK) in the Indo-Pacific are uniquely aligned, creating opportunities for greater trilateral cooperation, details a new report by the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney.

Seizing the moment: Outcomes of the inaugural Australia-Japan-South Korea trilateral dialogue outlines opportunities for expanding AJK cooperation in everything from disaster relief in the Pacific to pooling capital for foreign direct investment in regional infrastructure.

The report, compiled by USSC Research Fellow Dr Christopher Watterson, summarises the key findings from the first Track 1.5 Trilateral Dialogue, which the USSC hosted in June 2024. The dialogue brought together a total of 50 Australian, Japanese and South Korean representatives from government, academia and industry to explore the opportunities for AJK trilateralism amidst rapidly changing geopolitics and emerging non-traditional security threats.

“The USSC was proud to host the first Track 1.5 Trilateral Dialogue, which builds on growing cooperation between Australia, Japan and South Korea in various multilateral fora,” said USSC CEO Dr Michael Green. “All three countries have recognised that in principle, trilateralism could allow them to advance their strategic objectives in the region in ways they couldn’t achieve bilaterally or in isolation.”

Participants at the dialogue recognised that the foundation for trilateralism rests on shared values between AJK – including freedom from coercion and commitment to the rules-based international order – and shared strategic interests, including bolstering deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and supply chain resilience.

The dialogue explored ways that AJK could address shared strategic objectives through trilateralism, including by burden sharing, pooling capital and establishing divisions of labour that leverage each county’s unique strengths.

“The USSC is committed to a robust discussion of the geo-political shifts occurring in the Indo-Pacific and the rising role of minilaterals in meeting these challenges,” said Dr Green.

Media enquiries

USSC Media
T 0468 480 165
E ussc.media@sydney.edu.au