By Focus and AFP | 2026-05-05

CANBERRA, Australia -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese have agreed to expand cooperation across defense, energy security and critical minerals. The allies are seeking to strengthen their partnership against a backdrop of mounting global uncertainty.

The talks at Australia's Parliament House on May 4 mark 50 years since the two countries signed the Basic Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, and come during Takaichi's first visit to Australia as prime minister.

Alliance anniversary

Albanese set the tone for the meeting. "Our friendship has never been closer, and in these uncertain times, friendships matter more than ever," he said, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The two countries issued a string of statements vowing to work together on energy, the economy, defense and critical minerals.

"These agreements are to the benefit of both of our people," Albanese said.

Takaichi said the two leaders held strategic discussions spanning China, Southeast Asia, Pacific island countries, nuclear issues and abductions by North Korea.

Supply chain security

Japan's government has said it is keen to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals, essential for semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries and weapon systems.

The two leaders elevated critical minerals to a core pillar of their economic security relationship, with Australia committing up to $1.3 billion AUD ($930 million) to support critical-mineral projects involving Japan.

Their joint statement took direct aim at supply chain vulnerabilities, expressing "strong concerns over all forms of economic coercion, and the use of non-market policies and practices that are leading to harmful overcapacity and market distortions, as well as export restrictions, particularly on critical minerals."

The statement's language reflects growing allied concern over China's dominant position in the global production of heavy rare earths, materials essential for heat-resistant magnets used in defense systems and electric vehicles.

China controls about 90% of rare earth processing globally, a choke hold that Australia, with its abundant reserves, is positioning itself to help break.

"We want to make sure that we're resilient in a time where we see a lot of economic and global disruption," Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. "Critical minerals are necessary for our economy."

Defense and energy

Defense cooperation was among the most concrete deliverables of the visit.

In mid-April, the Japanese and Australian defense ministers signed contracts for the first three vessels of an 11-ship, $10 billion AUD ($6.5 billion) fleet of Mogami-class frigates.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build the first three in Japan, with the first scheduled for delivery in December 2029, while Australia plans to construct eight more in western Australia.

The warship program reflects a defense relationship that has expanded steadily as both nations navigate growing security pressures across the Indo-Pacific.

"There is no country in the world with whom we have a greater strategic alignment than Japan," Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said.

Energy ties between the two countries run deep. Australia provides almost half of Japan's liquefied natural gas, while Japan supplies roughly 7% of Australia's diesel.

Australia's Wong framed the stakes ahead of the talks.

"Gas plays a role in all our discussions because it fundamentally underpins the shared energy security between our countries," she told journalists in Canberra. "Our export partners have always put to us they want reliability."

The visit carried a wider regional message.

In a foreign policy address delivered in Vietnam at the weekend, Takaichi promised to do more to ensure a "free and open Indo-Pacific," a strategy that has rankled China.

Japan aimed to build its resilience, she said, notably strengthening its supply chains for energy and critical minerals and enhancing security cooperation.

First articulated a decade ago by Takaichi's mentor Shinzo Abe, the idea of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific has since been embraced by multiple US partners and allies seeking to curb China's influence in the region.