Origins of the Cold War
Australia's entry into the Cold War came in 1950, when it rushed combat air and sea forces into the Korean War, two days after the Americans did. The Australian Prime Minister received a hero's welcome in Washington. The ANZUS military alliance with New Zealand and the United States was signed in July 1951; it was a plan for consultation and did not involve military planning like NATO. Public opinion in Australia was intensely hostile to Japan after its wartime atrocities, but Japan was now an ally in the Cold War, so Australia's accepted the very generous soft peace treaty with Japan in 1951. Instead of worrying about a resurgent Japan, Australia now worried more about a possible Chinese threat.
Australia–Canada relations
The Battle of Kapyong is one of the many – and most prolific – examples of Australian and Canadian forces fighting together within a close proximity. The Korean War battle which occurred between 22–25 April 1951, saw the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) and the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI) engaged in a ferocious defensive action against a Chinese force outnumbering them at least 5 to 1. Australian casualties were 32 killed, 59 wounded and 3 captured whilst Canadian losses were 10 killed and 23 wounded. 3RAR and 2PPCLI were each awarded both the United States Presidential Unit Citation and South Korean Presidential Unit Citation for their actions during the Battle of Kapyong.