Announcement of a new Defence Cooperation Arrangement between Australia and the Philippines represents a milestone in the relationship. The Philippines has become pivotal to Australia's strategic objectives unlike any previous time in 80 years of diplomatic relations. It is the country in Southeast Asia most closely aligned with Australia, and the most immediately critical to a region in which 'no country is dominated'.
This Explainer shows how defence and security ties have expanded over the past decade – and made the relationship a genuinely strategic partnership. The defence relationship has become one of Australia's most important, focused on deterrence and contingency preparation. The so-called Squad grouping (Australia, Philippines, Japan and United States) is developing into a joint operational structure that counters Chinese maritime pressure. Canberra should continue to improve the visibility of the relationship, deepen diplomatic consultation, and build deterrence and resilience.
