Australia, Vietnam Sign Historic Agreement To Nod At Each Other More Firmly During Summits

In what diplomats on both sides are calling a landmark moment, Australia and Vietnam have formally agreed to deepen their defense relationship by upgrading bilateral nods from 'cordial' to 'resolute' at all future multilateral gatherings. The agreement, which took fourteen months to negotiate, also includes provisions for more purposeful handshakes, a joint commitment to using the phrase 'strategic partnership' at least three times per press conference, and a memorandum of understanding on synchronized frowning when asked about regional security. A defense official familiar with the talks confirmed that both nations will now CC each other on a wider range of emails. 'Previously, we were only copied on maritime security correspondence,' the official said. 'Under the new framework, that expands to include PDFs about cybersecurity and a quarterly newsletter.' The agreement stops short of a formal alliance but does permit both countries to describe each other as 'good blokes' in official communiqués.

Riffing on real coverage: Australia, Vietnam Deepen Defense Ties