19 May 2023: The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs
This week in Australian foreign affairs: Quad Leaders’ Meeting in Sydney cancelled, Marles addresses American Chamber of Commerce, Wong travels to Laos and the Philippines, and more.
During a doorstop on 17 May, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that the Quad Leaders’ Meeting will not be going ahead in Sydney next week. Albanese noted that all four Quad leaders will be at the G7 in Hiroshima on 20-21 May and are “attempting to get together over that period of time”, stating that “the Quad is an important body and we want to make sure that it occurs at leadership level and we’ll be having that discussion over the weekend.”
On 17 May, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles addressed the American Chamber of Commerce in Australia. He discussed the AUKUS partnership, referring to Australia’s acquisition of conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines as “the single biggest leap in Australia’s defence capability since World War Two.” Marles also noted that “the trust between our two nations is reflected through the integration of our industry” and that Australia “would not be in this position were it not for the trust placed in us by both the US and UK to steward this capability.” He also referred to improving technology transfer and information sharing between Australia, the UK and the US as being “at the heart of maximising the full potential of the AUKUS agreement.” Marles concluded by referring to the US-Australia Alliance as being “at the heart of a greater tempo of defence cooperation and a deeper transfer of critical technology”, and “the foundation for the growth in business cooperation between the Australian and the United States defence industries.”
Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong travelled to Laos and the Philippines this week to strengthen the bilateral relationships and to “promote our shared interests in a stable, peaceful and prosperous region.” While in Laos, Wong will meet Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith, and Head of the External Relations Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Thongsavanh Phomvihane. She will also sign the Laos-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership and “explor[e] ways we can expand and deepen cooperation under a Comprehensive Partnership.” In the Philippines, Wong will meet with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and will “build on” an earlier agreement between President Marcos and Albanese to elevate the relationship to a Strategic Partnership. She will also meet with Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, Secretary of National Defense Carlito Galvez, and National Security Advisor Eduardo Año. Wong noted that following this visit, she “will have travelled to every country in the [Southeast Asia] region as Foreign Minister, with the exception of Myanmar, as a clear statement of our intent and our priorities in the region.”
From 11 May, Minister for Trade Don Farrell visited Beijing to meet with China’s Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, “to progress the resolution of outstanding trade impediments.” The trip follows Farrell and Wang’s virtual meeting in February, where the pair “agreed to enhance dialogue at all levels as a pathway towards the full resumption of trade.” Farrell and Wang co-chaired the 16th Joint Ministerial Economic Commission on 12 May, the first in-person meeting between Australian and Chinese Trade Ministers since 2019. Farrell noted that the pair “had a constructive and candid discussion on matters of importance to the Australian people, including consular cases” and that Farrell “pressed Australia’s position for the timely resolution of remaining trade impediments, which would be in the interests of both countries.” The pair “agreed to step up dialogue under our existing free trade agreement and other platforms to stabilise the trading relationship, including by convening the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement Joint Commission, which was last held in 2017.” Farrell also noted that he “invited Minister Wang to visit Australia” and that he “accepted [the] invitation to visit at the next suitable opportunity.”
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts travelled to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India this week, “to strengthen our bilateral cooperation, discuss our shared strategic interests and further Australia’s trade and investment ties.” In Bangladesh, Watts represented Australia at the 6th Indian Ocean Conference, where he referred to Australia’s prosperity and security as being “intimately tied to the Indian Ocean”. He also announced that Australia will host the next iteration of the conference in 2024, for the first time in the forum’s history. In Bhutan, he met with government, community and religious leaders, and celebrated twenty years of Australia-Bhutan diplomatic relations and “more than sixty years of friendship”. Watts also returned a “tunala”, or temple strut, to Nepal, which had been illegally taken from the Ratneshwar temple and displayed in the Art Gallery of New South Wales. He referred to its return as a demonstration of Australia’s commitment to the “highest standards of ethical practice and international obligations.” While in Kathmandu, Watts also discussed “opportunities to advance our strong education and people-to-people ties with Nepal, our third largest international student market.” In India, he formally opened Australia’s Consulate-General in Kolkata, “the commercial hub and cultural capital of eastern India.”
On 16 May, Assistant Minister for Trade Tim Ayres travelled to Papua New Guinea (PNG) to attend the 38th Australia-PNG Business Forum and Trade Expo, accompanied by a delegation of Australian business leaders from major industries, including agribusiness, infrastructure, and the National Rugby League. In his address to the Expo, Ayres emphasised the “unique and profoundly important bilateral relationship” and noted that “Papua New Guinea is one of our most important partners in the region.” He centred his address around “three things that are fundamental for creating an environment where business can thrive, and communities can prosper: roads, power and ports.” On roads, Ayres discussed the Australia-PNG Transport Sector Support Program, “Australia’s largest bilateral program in PNG”, which “has had a major impact on improving the lives of ordinary Papua New Guineans.” He also talked about the PNG Electrification Partnership, which Australia is collaborating with PNG, Japan, New Zealand and the United States on. Finally, on ports, Ayres referred to the Australia Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific as “a key mechanism through which Australia funds infrastructure investment for the Pacific”, which PNG is the largest recipient of financing under. He concluded by emphasising Australia’s commitment to working with PNG “to build and maintain long-lasting, high-impact infrastructure that is affordable and delivers value for money for Papua New Guinea”, and that Australia is “proud to be Papua New Guinea’s largest investor, trading and commercial partner.”
Isabella Keith is a weekly columnist for Australian Outlook. She is also a Research Assistant, Sessional Academic, and Honours student in Law at the Australian National University, with a focus on international law. Isabella attended the AIIA #NextGen study tour to South Korea last year, and was also a delegate to the AIIA’s Australia-Korea-New Zealand and Australia-United States-Japan Policy Forums. She can be found on Twitter here.
This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.
