A Trilateral Commission Emerges in Asia

From the department of the obscure but important news, the U.S., Japan, and Australia have been holding a “Trilateral Dialogue” on security issues (see a joint statement released today here). On its face, all this means is that the three countries will have regular ministerial-level consultations, which doesn’t seem very important. Certainly, it is a far cry from forming any formal legal entity to coordinate a “trilateral strategy.”

But the implication for the Asia-Pacific region of an eventual formal American-Japanese-Australian Alliance could be profound. Japan and Australia are the bedrock of any U.S. military strategy in the region (and aside from some whaling, Japan and Australia have similar security interests). Strengthening trilateral cooperation and coordination on military security issues is a clear shot across the bow of Asia’s other great military power: China.