HOW SPECIAL WAS THE ASEAN-AUSTRALIAN SPECIAL SUMMIT 2024?
At the beginning of March, Melbourne was bustling with preparations for a special occasion: it was the Australia-ASEAN Special Summit, marking 50 years of ASEAN-Australia Dialogue Relations. There were many reasons to be hopeful – it could usher in a new era of trade and investment between two competent and eager parties. One undoubtedly a giant in the Asia-Pacific who, after decades of hanging out with its powerful friends all the way across the globe, finally realised it might be better off being on good terms with its neighbour. The other, despite its incredibly turbulent past, has grown to become a formidable power in its own rights and is increasingly asserting its command in this neighbourhood. Eager as the parties might be, however, there are some elephants in the room – ones that have long threatened the region’s stability and stalled its consensus – that would sit high on the Summit’s agenda. … Continue readingHOW SPECIAL WAS THE ASEAN-AUSTRALIAN SPECIAL SUMMIT 2024?