Observation
Australia is seeking to broaden its security partnerships beyond its alliance with the United States. If given a choice to establish closer security relations with one other country, 45% of Australians would choose Japan from a list of six. There is a large gap to the next highest preference, India (18%), followed by Indonesia (14%), France (12%), and South Korea (5%).
Only 2% of Australians nominated the Philippines as their top preference for a closer security partnership, despite the two nations deepening their defence ties and staging their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea off the Philippine coast in November 2023.