No images? Click here 10 April 2024Will AUKUS become JAUKUS?Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have confirmed long running speculation that they are considering cooperation with Japan on AUKUS Pillar II advanced capability projects. While Japan would not be involved in AUKUS Pillar I — focussed on the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines — Pillar II collaboration would strengthen relations between Australia and Japan, which increasingly recognise each other as crucial regional partners. United States Studies Centre (USSC) public opinion polling conducted in 2022 found that 62 per cent of Australians agree with expanding the AUKUS partnership to include Japan, compared to 53 per cent of Americans and just 39 per cent of Japanese respondents. But over a third of Australians and a majority of American and Japanese respondents were undecided, indicating that the AUKUS partners may have work to do to convince publics in each of their countries about the rationale for Japan’s inclusion. USSC experts featured widely in the media this week discussing the development, with USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Professor Peter Dean calling the discussions “a really significant move" and Research Fellow Tom Corben highlighting the fact that Japan holds “niche technological advantages,” including in fields like quantum, unmanned systems, cyber security and artificial intelligence. In a new USSC brief covering AUKUS developments in other areas, Amy McDonnell, a member of the USSC Women in the Alliance Network and General Manager, Security, Trade and Industry at Goal Group, discusses the Australian Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2023 and what it could mean for the future of the AUKUS partnership. Developments on both pillars of the agreement will be needed if it is to succeed. NEWS WRAPWong advocates for two-state solution
"A two-state solution is the only hope to break the endless cycle of violence." Remarks by Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the ANU National Security College conference | 9 April 2024. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Did you USSC?
OPPORTUNITY Visiting fellowships: JF-USSC Japan-Australia Dialogue and Exchange for Next GenerationThe Japan Foundation and United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney have established two parallel and interrelated Australia-Japan fellowship programs to strengthen connections between Australian and Japanese policy experts and research institutes and to cultivate the next generation of policy-savvy Japan experts based in Australia and Australia experts based in Japan. Participants will experience field trips to Japan or Australia, writing opportunities, research engagements with key government and industry players, and mentorship by senior USSC experts – including Dr Michael J. Green, CEO of the USSC and Professor Peter Dean, Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Program. Apply here by Monday, 10 June 2024, 12pm AEST. BY THE NUMBERS Australian support for Japan's inclusion in AUKUS is bipartisanThe USSC publication, "US midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance" published results from a September 2022 survey that asked respondents in Australia, the United States, and Japan a series of questions about AUKUS. According to the report by Director of Research Jared Mondschein and Research Editor Victoria Cooper, "Trilateral support for the new AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States outweighs criticism, though a plurality (and sometimes majority) of respondents in Australia, Japan and the United States express a combination of being unsure or having no opinion about it. When it comes to the expansion of the AUKUS partnership, Americans’ support for adding Japan to the agreement (53 per cent) was largely bipartisan. Australians were also greatly supportive of including Japan (62 per cent) — a move that could address potential gaps regarding the defence production capacity of the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Contrarily, Japanese respondents tepidly agree with the notion of expanding AUKUS to include Japan; 39 per cent agree, 24 per cent did not agree or disagree, six per cent disagree and 29 per cent simply said they didn’t know." Manage your email preferences | Forward this email to a friend United States Studies Centre |