This week in Australian foreign affairs: Marles visits new US Defense Secretary Hegseth in Washington D.C.; Wong announces new sanctions on white supremacist terror group, and others; President of the Republic of Palau Surangel S. Whipps Jr visits Australia, and more.

On 3 February, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles joined Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh to introduce a new award to recognise the service of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel in the Indo-Pacific region. The award will recognise all “ranks who have completed 30 days of operational service on certain ADF operations in the region.” These operations include Operation Render Safe—the disposal of World War II bombs, weapons, and ammunition from Pacific island countries— and Operation Argos—enforcing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea. According to the statement, “approximately 15,000 current and former serving members of the ADF will be recognised for their service on contemporary and ongoing operations in our region.” The award will be known as the Australian Operational Service Medal Indo-Pacific.

Marles announced on 6 February that he will travel to the United States ( 6 – 7 February) to meet members of the Trump administration. In Washington, Marles “will meet his counterpart US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and other senior Administration officials, as well as members of the US Congress.” Additionally, Marles will join “Hegseth at the Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath in honour of the sacrifices of American service members and their families.” This will be the first in-person meeting between Marles and Hesgeth. The statement highlights that “Australia’s Alliance with the US remains fundamental to our national security and we are working closely with the Trump Administration to build on our strong partnership, including through AUKUS.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong announced on 3 February that the Australian Government “has imposed counter-terrorism financing sanctions on the white supremacist terrorist network Terrorgram,” as part of an ongoing effort to combat antisemitism and keep Australians safe.” It will now be a criminal offence to “use or deal with the assets of, or make assets available to, Terrorgram,” with penalties for up to 10 years imprisonment and/or heavy fines. The Government has also “re-listed for counter-terrorism financing sanctions four other entities that promote nationalist and racist violent extremist ideologies: National Socialist Order, the Russian Imperial Movement, Sonnenkrieg Division and The Base.” Additionally, the Government has imposed sanctions on Hezbollah’s new Secretary-General and a leading spokesperson for the terrorist group, Naim Qassem. A consolidated list of sanctions is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.

On 5 February, Wong marked the one-year anniversary since Australian citizen Dr Yang Jun received a suspended death sentence in Beijing. According to the statement, “The Australian Government has made clear to China that we remain appalled by Dr Yang’s suspended death sentence. We hold serious concerns about Dr Yang’s health and conditions. We continue to press to ensure his needs are met and he receives appropriate medical care.” The government maintains that “Dr Yang is entitled to basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment, in accordance with international norms and China’s legal obligations.”

Minister for Trade and Tourism, and Special Minister for State Don Farrell announced on 31 January the appointment of Rachelle Jackson as Consul-General and Trade and Investment Commissioner in Toronto, Canada. Jackson has previously held multiple leadership roles at Austrade in Melbourne and Sydney, and as a Trade Commissioner in New York and San Francisco. “Her appointment underscores the importance of Australia’s relationship with Canada, and will advance our trade and diplomatic interests, and drive opportunities for a continued and strong bilateral trading relationship,” the statement reads.

On 1 February, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, and Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy joined President of the Republic of Palau Surangel S. Whipps Jr in a joint media release on the latter’s visit to Brisbane. Whipps Jr was in Australia “to promote the Palau Paradise Express, a non-stop flight from Brisbane to Koror, operated by Qantas and supported by the Australian Government.” While in Australia, President Whipps used the opportunity to “promote Palau’s desirability as a tourist destination, meeting with a number of tourism industry representatives and the Australia Pacific Islands Business Council.” According to the joint statement, “Australia is proud to partner with Palau, investing in a resilient and integrated region, allowing families and businesses in both countries to stay connected.”

Dr Adam Bartley is the managing editor for AIIA’s Australian Outlook and weekly columnist for The Week in Australian Foreign Affairs. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and non-resident fellow at the Elliot School for International Affairs, the George Washington University. Adam also has positions as post-doctoral fellow at the Centre for Cyber Security Research and Innovation RMIT University and as program manager of the AI Trilateral Experts Group. He can be found on Twitter here.

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