OpinionAlbanese’s Australia has a chance to reset ties with Southeast Asia and beyond

After years of neglecting Asean in pursuit of a closer US alliance, Australia – led by a progressive Labor government – could now revive once-warm relations

First, though, it will need to regain the confidence of Asean nations, a task new Foreign Minister Penny Wong is ideally suited for

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Published: 8:45am, 13 Jun 2022

“In this brave new world we cannot rely on great powers to safeguard our interests,” Australia’s then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull declared at the 2017 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He emphasised the need to “take responsibility for our own security and prosperity, while recognising we are stronger when sharing the burden of collective leadership with trusted partners and friends”.

The following year, he hosted the inaugural Australia-Asean Summit in Sydney, where both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation against the backdrop of rising Sino-US rivalry in the Indo-Pacific. Canberra presented itself as an autonomous regional power, capable of providing alternative strategic options to Southeast Asia.

The unprecedented warmth in bilateral relations even led to serious discussions about Australia’s potential “associate” membership in Asean. Turnbull’s departure, however, saw a dramatic shift in Australian foreign policy. The hawkish administration of Scott Morrison doubled down on Canberra’s alignment with the US against China.

The return of the more progressive Labor party to power, with its diverse and inclusive administration, can herald a more promising chapter in Australia’s relations with Asean nations. In particular, Malaysia-born and Bahasa-speaking Foreign Minister Penny Wong can pick up where Turnbull left off.

Anthony Albanese (centre) leaves Government House in Canberra with Foreign Minister Penny Wong (left) and Deputy Minister Richard Marles after being sworn in as Australia’s new prime minister on May 23. Photo: Bloomberg

Historically, Australia has had fraught relations with much of postcolonial Southeast Asia. For decades, it maintained a racialist approach under the “White Australia” policy, formally named the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, which heavily restricted immigration from nearby Southeast Asian nations.