It’s Wikipedia’s 15th birthday!
Tell us what Wikipedia means to you.
close
Open main menu
Edit
Watch this page
Foreign relations of Australia
The foreign relations of Australia are influenced by its position as a leading trading nation and as a significant donor of humanitarian aid. Australia's foreign policy is guided by a commitment to multilateralism and regionalism, as well as to strong bilateral relations with its allies. Key concerns include free trade, terrorism, refugees, economic cooperation with Asia and stability in the Asia-Pacific. Australia is active in the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations.
Australia's imports of major weapons increased 65 per cent between 2005–2009 and 2010–14, making it the sixth largest importer in the world according to SIPRI.[1]
It has become steadfastly allied with New Zealand, through long-standing ANZAC ties dating back to the early 1900s, as well as the United States, throughout the Cold War and since. With the rapid growth in trade relations with China, however, Australia has been debating whether to shift its emphasis to Asia.[2] A major debate has been underway with a large numbers of refugees streaming into Australia, often via very dangerous