The article analyzes the areas of interaction between Southeast Asian countries and their regional partners in counterterrorism activities. The interest of both Australia and China in this area of international cooperation is dictated by a number of factors: the common threat of international terrorism; the dependence of their own security on the terrorist situation in Southeast Asian countries due to their geographical proximity; the need to ensure the personal safety of tourists visiting neighboring countries, the need to protect the interests of their own business Cooperation in the field of combating terrorism between regional countries is developing in different formats and has a multi-vector focus. Unlike Australia, the development of counterterrorism cooperation with China faces a number of challenges, including differences in position on the issue of the Uighurs, as well as the ongoing territorial dispute over the South China Sea. In general, cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism fits into the general context of their strategic relations.