This week in Australian foreign affairs: Albanese gives keynote address at Shangri-La Dialogue and also visits Vietnam, Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting in Singapore with Marles’ Japanese and US counterparts, Tuvalu’s Foreign Minister pays Wong a visit in Adelaide, and more.

On 3 June, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He discussed the importance of cooperation in the current strategic environment, and of ASEAN centrality. Albanese also noted Australia’s support for the US’ “renewed efforts … to establish reliable and open channels of communication” with China. He mentioned that Australia saw dialogue as being “at the heart of our efforts to stabilise our relationship with China” but that Australia is “not naïve about this process, or its limitations.” Albanese also referred to comments by Indonesian President Widodo that the Quad and AUKUS are “partners and not competitors” and said that this was “very much Australia’s view.”

 While in Singapore, Albanese met with Acting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai for the 8^th Australia-Singapore Annual Leaders’ Meeting. The leaders discussed “Australia and Singapore’s perspectives on the regional strategic outlook, the deep and abiding defence relationship, expanding trade and investment ties and growing cooperation on food and energy security.” Under the Green Economy Agreement, they announced a new $20 million Go-Green Co-Innovation program to “fund Australian and Singaporean small and medium businesses to develop innovative decarbonisation solutions” and agreed to establish a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor by the end of 2025. They also discussed “work underway to finalise the Australia Singapore Food Pact as announced last year.”

Albanese also travelled to Vietnam, where he met with his counterpart, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and other senior leaders. The Prime Ministers announced the inaugural Australia-Vietnam Trade Ministers’ Dialogue “to reflect the importance of [the] trading relationship”. They also discussed expanding bilateral cooperation on climate change, energy and the environment, including a new Australian commitment of $105 million “focussed on enabling Vietnam to increase its uptake of clean energy and clean energy infrastructure and to update its mining law to attract foreign investment to develop Vietnam’s critical mineral resources.” Albanese also noted that this year marks the fiftieth year of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam.

On 3 June, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles convened a Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting in Singapore with his Japanese and US counterparts. The Ministers “welcomed and acknowledged the significance of each country’s strategic documents issued this past year” and “highlighted that trilateral defence cooperation has never been stronger”. They also “expressed serious concern about the increasingly severe security environment in the East China Sea” and emphasised that they “strongly opposed any destabilising and coercive unilateral actions that may escalate tensions in the East China Sea.” Moreover, they “committed to deepening cooperation with Pacific island countries, including by working with Pacific partners to support maritime security, respond to increased pressure from natural disasters, and address the impacts of climate change.”

Marles also addressed the Shangri-La Dialogue at the seventh plenary session, where he emphasised that “Australia believes it is vitally important for our collective future that the world concludes from Ukraine’s inspiring resistance that Putin’s gambit failed, and that the costs of military aggression far outweighed any perceived benefit.” He also stated that Australia “value[s] a productive relationship with China” but that China’s military build-up “is not providing our region with any strategic reassurance.” Marles noted that “diplomacy will always be the front line of our engagement with the world” and gave the example that “in announcing the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal, we made more than 60 calls to regional and other world leaders.” He concluded by emphasising that “we will always seek to use diplomacy to create pathways for peace.”

On 4 June, Marles met with his Japanese counterpart, Minister for Defense Hamada Yasukazu. The Ministers “affirmed the importance of the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation (JDSC) signed by leaders in October 2022 as the compass for our enhanced defence cooperation” and also welcomed “close strategic alignment evident in Japan’s National Defense Strategy and Australia’s Defence Strategic Review.” Moreover, they exchanged views on the regional security environment and reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive, resilient and based on the rule of law.

Marles addressed the Pacific Fusion Centre in Vanuatu at its new office opening on 6 June, where he emphasised the importance of the 2018 Boe Declaration and that “the Pacific’s security has to come from the Pacific itself.” He expressed Australia’s deep gratitude for Vanuatu “hosting the Pacific Fusion Centre”, and referred to the opening of the new offices as “a really significant moment in the context of Pacific security.” Marles noted that “from the perspective of the Australian Government, we are proud but ultimately deeply privileged and honoured to be able to play our part in the support of the Pacific Fusion Centre.”

On 7 June, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong welcomed Tuvalu’s Foreign Minister Simon Kofe to Adelaide. Kofe’s visit was “an opportunity to build on Australia and Tuvalu’s strong development and defence cooperation, people-to-people ties and discuss our shared aspiration for a safe, prosperous and resilient Blue Pacific.” Wong noted that “Australia recognises climate change is the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific” and that “Australia is proud to be supporting Tuvalu’s Coastal Adaptation Project, to protect Tuvalu from the impact of rising sea levels and cyclones.”

Minister for Trade Don Farrell travelled to Belgium and France this week. In Belgium, he will engage in negotiations on a trade agreement with the European Union, and will meet with European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, as well as the EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski. Farrell will be joined in France by Assistant Minister for Trade Tim Ayres, where he will lead Australia’s delegation attending the annual OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. The pair will also host Australia’s “Australia’s annual informal gathering of key World Trade Organization Ministers to shape expectations for a successful 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in February 2024.” Ayres will also travel to the UK alone to attend the Commonwealth Trade Ministers’ Meeting on behalf of Farrell, to “advance Australia’s trade interests and seek to coordinate joint efforts to support the multilateral trading system and build momentum in the leadup to the 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in early 2024.”

On 1 June, Farrell addressed the National Press Club, where he reflected on the past year as Minister for Trade, which he described as “working to support industries still recovering from the uncertainty of the pandemic, negotiating new agreements for our producers and exporters around the world, and working to resolve outstanding impediments.” He referred to the war in Ukraine as a reminder of the “clear links between the strategic environment and the health of the global economy”, and also discussed the economic impacts of climate change and pandemic recovery. Farrell noted that “over the years ahead, we know international trade, including our visitor economy, must continue to be a driver of Australian prosperity”, and that one of the Government’s “biggest priorities has been work to stabilise our relationship with China – by far our largest trading partner.” He referred to Australia’s position with China as being wanting “a stable and prosperous trading relationship, and the full resumption of trade”, and noted that progress is being made in this area. Farrell also acknowledged the entry into force of the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement the day before, the progression of negotiations on “boost[ing]” our trade agreement with India, and the Government’s commitment to a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU. He stated that “all of the work with our trade partners in the last year, and what we’ve achieved in a challenging global economy, highlight what Australia brings to the international economy.”

Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy travelled to the US and India this week. In the US, he will hold “high-level talks with representatives from the US Administration and Congress to advance the implementation of the pathway for Australia to acquire conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarines through the AUKUS partnership.” He will also visit the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard in Connecticut, where submarines, including the Virginia class, are produced for the US Navy. In India, Conroy will attend the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi, where he noted that he “look[s] forward to collaborating with G20 counterparts on contemporary international development challenges, particularly the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.”

On 4 June, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts announced his travels to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates this week, to “discuss important national and regional security issues, advance Australia’s economic interests in the Middle East, and strengthen our important people and business ties.” In Lebanon, Watts will “discuss our continued close cooperation on counterterrorism and transnational crime, as well as economic challenges and opportunities”, and will also “seek an update on the investigation into the Beirut blast, and meet with the Lebanese-Australian community, which is an enduring strength of our bilateral relationship.” In Saudi Arabia, he will “join the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, exchanging views on regional security with coalition partners.” Finally, in the United Arab Emirates, Watts will “discuss ways we can further enhance our already-close trade ties and highlight Australia as a reliable and reputable partner in two-way investment and as a provider of vocational, technical, and tertiary education.”

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.

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