On August 18, 2025, Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba opened the Nikkei Forum Melbourne 2025 with these inspiring words. He highlighted the need for Japan to accede to a three-way treaty with Australia and New Zealand. As China deepens its presence across the Asia-Pacific, that challenge is only growing. With this rapid expansion comes a justifiable concern about security and stability.
In his speech in Melbourne, Ishiba clearly outlined a vision for deeper cooperation between Japan and Australia. He underscored the importance for the US to bolster security partnerships and resiliency in Southeast Asia specifically. This area has undergone tectonic changes in power relations due to China’s growing aggressiveness. Ishiba’s call for a Geostrategic Alliance to fill the strategic void the United States has created. To put it plainly, the U.S. has long stood as a pillar of stability in the region.
Ishiba’s remarks were reported at 17:40 JST, highlighting Japan’s urgency to adapt to the evolving geopolitical landscape. By proposing this three-way treaty, Ishiba seeks to strengthen ties with Australia and New Zealand, fostering a united front against potential threats posed by external forces. The Prime Minister, however, dreams of much more than just diplomatic relations. He intends to develop a structure for trilateral cooperative security projects that will strengthen collaborative defense capabilities between the three countries.
At the Nikkei Forum Melbourne 2025, Ishiba with remarkable fervor, crystallized Japan’s strategic aims. This event was a great opportunity to highlight Japan’s proactive approach to addressing challenges in the region. China is pushing its authoritarian model at home and abroad like never before. Perhaps in response, Japan’s new leadership under Ishiba has been seeking cooperative initiatives to safeguard shared strategic interests in Southeast Asia.