Australia, Vietnam agree to deepen defence and security cooperation in Canberra

Australia and Vietnam agreed to deepen military cooperation and support the free flow of essential trade as the two nations’ leaders met in Canberra on Tuesday, with both sides expressing concern over policies that disrupt global supply chains.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Vietnam’s top leader To Lam agreed to “further strengthen defense and security engagement,” according to a joint statement released by Australia, and also vowed to do more to counter transnational organized crime and people smuggling.

In Lam’s first trip to the country as party chief and president, the two sides pledged to increase trade and investment, and support “resilient supply chains in areas such as critical minerals, semiconductors, clean energy,” according to a separate statement.

The two also “expressed concern” over the situation in the South China Sea and reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace, security and stability, as well as freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and respect for international law. They called for disputes to be resolved peacefully through legal and diplomatic processes, without the threat or use of force.

Australia and Vietnam have expanded maritime-security cooperation in recent years as they confront increasing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Following a visit to Danang in April, HMAS Toowoomba trained with Vietnam People’s Navy ship 275 off the Vietnamese coast, including search-and-rescue, man-overboard and ship-handling exercises.

Two-way trade between the two nations currently stands at about $14 billion, while Australia is also a major provider of official development assistance to Vietnam, supporting infrastructure, climate change resilience and the green transition. Vietnam and Australia established diplomatic relations in 1973 and upgraded ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in March 2024.

To mark the visit, on Monday Vietnamese budget carrier Vietjet Aviation JSC announced a new direct service between Ho Chi Minh City and Western Sydney, scheduled to start from January 2027 with two round-trip services per week.From Australia, Lam heads to New Zealand, the first visit by a Vietnamese president since 2007, where he’s expected to focus on trade, investment, technology, agriculture and other areas.