KUALA LUMPUR – Australia’s new Foreign Minister Penny Wong called on members of Asean to do their part and contribute towards a peaceful and predictable future for the Indo-Pacific region.
Wong said Australia shares the same objectives with Asean nations who value stability, prosperity, and respect the sovereignty of each nation.
She expressed confidence in Asean and Asean-led institutions to “hold the centre” in the Indo-Pacific, where disputes are guided by international law and norms, “not by power and size”.
“Asean is the foundation of this equilibrium, it is the centre of the Indo-Pacific region.
“Its strength lies in its ability to speak for the region and to balance regional powers.
“All countries that seek to work with the region have a responsibility to engage constructively and respectfully with it,” she said during a networking brunch organised by the Australian High Commission at a hotel here today.
Wong, who was born in Sabah, is on an official visit to Malaysia. Later today, she flies to Kota Kinabalu where she is scheduled to attend official functions in her honour.
She had met Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah in Putrajaya yesterday, where they discussed trade and regional security, among other things.
Prior to her official visit here, Wong had also visited Vietnam as part of a four-day trip in Southeast Asia.
In a similar statement in Vietnam on Monday, Wong stressed that disputes in the region should be resolved through proper means and not through a show of force, without naming any party directly.
“A region where disputes are settled peacefully in accordance with international law and norms, not by size and power,” she was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Wong’s Monday statement came days after China had conducted military exercises in the South China Sea, close to the Vietnam coast, flaring up tension between both countries.
In her speech today, Wong also did not explicitly name China in bringing up the issue of stability in the region.
She stressed on the importance for future generations to build mutual partnerships and preserve peace in the region.
“Strategic equilibrium enables countries to make their own sovereign choices, rather than having their future decided for them.
“We have a responsibility to work together to achieve our shared interests and ensure our region remains peaceful, prosperous, and respectful of sovereignty.
“Those of us who grew up with family stories from the war owe it to our grandparents and our children to preserve that region,” she said.
Earlier this month, Wong visited the Solomon Islands to mend ties with the Pacific country after the latter signed a security deal with China, which alarmed officials in Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
The China-Solomon Islands security pact allows for the Pacific country to request police and military assistance from China to maintain social order. – The Vibes, June 29, 2022
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