ABSTRACT
The Australia-United States relationship presents an odd contradiction. The relationship is grounded in a lengthy history of shared experiences, interests and values. These commonalities begin with their parallel histories as part of the British empire and as settler nations on vast continents. By and large, Australia and the United States have been closely aligned on issues of international order over most of the past 75 years. However, those shared views have come under pressure in recent times as some of the fundamentals of that order have begun to shift. Australian and US strategic interests are most intensively engaged in the Indo-Pacific region. Both countries, individually and as allied partners, have enormous stakes in this part of the world and share a broad interest in sustaining the region’s stability and prosperity. The relationship between Australia and the United States is firmly-rooted in common histories and shared sacrifice, aligned values, traditions and norms, and a common language.
