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Asean
This Week in AsiaOpinion
William Choong
Sharon Seah
William ChoongandSharon Seah

Asian Angle | Amid China tensions, Australia and Asean must iron out hard issues to preserve regional stability

  • Australia and Japan can help Asean leverage Australian and the Quad’s resources to manage the more assertive aspects of China’s regional behaviour
  • Canberra must also step up efforts to nurture its trade ties with Asean to ensure sustained relevance in their economic relationship

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Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (right) shakes hands with Laos’ Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, during the Asean-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, Australia, on March 6. Photo: Reuters
William ChoongandSharon Seah
Over the past five decades, the strategic relationship between Asean and Australia has evolved significantly. Marked by deepening cooperation and partnership across a broad spectrum of issue areas including security, economic development, education and cultural exchange, this relationship is underpinned by shared interests in promoting regional stability, prosperity, and addressing transnational challenges.
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Both the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Australia are part of various bilateral and multilateral frameworks aimed at enhancing regional architecture and fostering a conducive environment for open dialogue and mutual benefit. Australia now recognises Asean’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific.

Yet even after the recent 50th anniversary celebrations at the Asean-Australia Special Summit held from March 4 to 6, Asean and Australia continue to face heightened risks as the international order veers towards multipolarity amid polycrisis.

(From left) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden and Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Point Loma naval base in San Diego, California, on March 13, 2023. Photo: AP
(From left) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden and Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Point Loma naval base in San Diego, California, on March 13, 2023. Photo: AP
Asean member states are wary of the upgrading of US formal alliances and the advent of minilateral groupings such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (comprising Australia, Japan, India and the United States) and the trilateral Australia-UK-US (Aukus) arrangements. These trends intensify the risk of conflict between US-led alliances and groupings versus China.

To Asean, the rationale is clear: such US-led minilaterals could undermine its centrality and any cooperation with these minilaterals would rile China. While the member states cannot wish away minilaterals, they can nevertheless leverage these arrangements to their national benefit and regional stability.

There is a sweet spot here. After years of testy relations with Beijing, Australia is rebalancing its relationship with China, taking a more pragmatic turn towards trade normalisation. This would lead to greater regional stability, which Asean appreciates. However, Canberra and its formal allies – in particular, the US and Japan – want to continue to manage the more assertive aspects of China’s regional behaviour.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in Melbourne on March 4. Photo: EPA-EFE
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in Melbourne on March 4. Photo: EPA-EFE
There is simultaneously a desire on the part of some member states (read: Vietnam and the Philippines) to stand up more to China on matters of sovereignty amid territorial disputes, especially in the South China Sea.
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