Foreign Minister Penny Wong has hit back at former Prime Minister of Australia Paul Keating, who accused her of “rattling the China can” at this week’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Melbourne.
Earlier this week, Keating delivered a scathing statement to the press, criticising the Australian government’s position on its “anti-China” and “mindless pro-American” foreign policy strategy in Asia.
The criticism comes from comments made by Wong on Monday at the summit, when she said the region faces “the most confronting circumstances… in decades”.
“We face destabilising, provocative and coercive actions, including unsafe conduct at sea and in the air and militarisation of disputed features,” Wong said.
On Tuesday, Keating said the Albanese government’s policy is “at odds with the general tenor” of ASEAN countries’ strategic interests when it comes to relations between China and the United States, pointing to Wong’s comments.
“It doesn’t take much to encourage Penny Wong, sporting her ‘deeply concerned’ frown, to rattle the China can – a can she gave a good shake to yesterday,” Keating said.
In his statement, Keating noted Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar’s position on China-US relations, which Keating said “dropped a huge rock in Wong’s pond by telling Australia not to piggyback Australia’s problems with China onto ASEAN”.
“Anwar is making it clear: Malaysia, for its part, is not buying United States hegemony in East Asia,” Keating said.
This morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke on Nine’s morning news program Today and, when asked about her thoughts about Keating’s words, said she doesn’t “lose sleep over it”.
“He is entitled to his views,” Wong said, “but I will say this… it was a new position to be lectured about whether or not I understood the country of my birth in Malaysia, but as I said, he is entitled to his views.”
Investment in Southeast Asia
Today is the final day of the 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne. The summit celebrates 50 years since Australia became ASEAN’s first Dialogue Partner in 1974.
Yesterday, the Australian government announced a $2 billion investment in the region involving several economic initiatives to secure Australia’s economic security, whilst boosting the region’s economic growth.
“By 2040, Southeast Asia is predicted to be the world’s fourth-largest market after the US, China and India,” Foreign Minister Wong wrote on X.
“That represents a huge opportunity for Southeast Asia and for Australia – and the Albanese government is determined to increase our two-way trade and investment with the region.”
Economic initiatives involved in the $2 billion investment include the appointment of ten so-called Business Champions “to facilitate greater commercial links between Australia and the economies of ASEAN”.
These initiatives include the appointment of 10 Business Champions to facilitate greater commercial links between Australia and the economies of ASEAN. pic.twitter.com/9FlTGHa0e7
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) March 5, 2024
Wong also announced a $140 million investment to extend to the government’s Partnerships for Infrastructure Program over the next four years, which aims to improve visa access for Southeast Asia, among other initiatives.
“These initiatives will identify and maximise opportunities for Australian businesses – and create more Australian jobs,” she said.
“Increasing our economic security is a key element of our statecraft and central to our national interest.
“Working closely with regional partners means we can create opportunity together and build the assurance that comes with knowing our success is their success.”