5.1
The committee sees the Indo-Pacific as a region of central importance for Australia’s strategic interests. It is an increasingly challenging strategic environment where Australia faces a more complex and contested Indo-Pacific along with increasing militarisation.
5.2
Regional cooperation is the key element of Australia's engagement, with a view to contributing to the stability and resilience of the region.
Opportunities for advancing Australia’s strategic interests through existing regional architecture
5.3
The committee recognises that the Indo-Pacific region is a region characterised by a complex mix of historical and cultural perspectives and political actors. The diversity of the existing regional architecture has been challenged as an overly complicated ‘spaghetti bowl’ of regional groupings and relationships. However, evidence received by the committee saw this diversity and the number of regional mechanisms as a strategic asset allowing Australia to contribute positively to the security and stability of the region.
5.4
The committee sees it as important to acknowledge the diverse purposes for which many of these regional groupings exist, for example, whether they are formal or informal institutions; primarily focus on economic or security matters; are inclusive or non-inclusive; and whether they are designed as forums for dialogue and trust-building or designed as action-orientated groupings. As such, Australia should continue to find opportunities for engagement across all avenues including those designed for enhancing dialogue (such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia Summit (EAS)) as well as those with more practical goals (such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)).
5.5
Submitters reflected on the changing strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific. Much of the existing architecture in the region was created in the 1980s and 1990s and was underpinned by cooperative approaches in the context of accelerating economic growth and regional security for Asia-Pacific countries. Today, the region faces a changed security and policy environment with more complexity, competition and challenges.
5.6
Key challenges facing the region include: security risks involving increasingly assertive powers in the region; increasing economic competition; health security challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; human and labour rights issues; and concerns relating to climate change. These challenges rely on the regional architecture to resolve them.
5.7
The committee considers that in order to respond effectively to the region’s most pressing challenges, collaboration and cooperation are essential. Regional cooperation is central to the success of Australia's engagement in the
Indo-Pacific as it pursues a regional agenda of stability, resilience and inclusivity. The regional architecture is a key tool for Australia to advance its Indo-Pacific agenda and its strategic interests. The committee supports the use of a combination of bilateral, minilateral and multilateral regional architecture which enables Australia to achieve these objectives in different ways and draw upon complementarities to promote, strengthen and reinforce links between regional initiatives.
5.8
The existing regional architecture comprises a useful mix of formal and informal mechanisms and networks which provides Australia with necessary strategic flexibility, as well as options for regional engagement that is
fit-for-purpose. Therefore, in order to continue to have sufficient flexibility when facing the changing strategic environment, the committee does not see that it is necessary to institutionalise less formal regional mechanisms or create new regional architecture at this time. Rather than changing or creating new regional architecture, it is about using the existing architecture most effectively to pursue Australia’s interests in the changing strategic environment.
Scope for enhancing regional cooperation
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
5.9
Southeast Asia is strategically central to Australia’s security as well as to the broader Indo-Pacific region’s security and stability. While some issues were raised in relation to ASEAN’s effectiveness as a regional body, the committee recognises its value as a long-standing institution that contributes positively to the stability of the region. ASEAN plays an important role as a vehicle for promoting peace and cooperation in the region, and the committee sees it as an important forum for Australia to engage with its Southeast Asian partners. The committee sees it as important for Australia to work steadily with ASEAN and ASEAN-led architecture—including the EAS, the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus)–as well as in bilateral contexts within individual Southeast Asian nations.
5.10
Some submitters questioned the capacity of ASEAN as a slow-moving, consensus based organisation to effectively deal with regional issues including increasingly aggressive powers in the region as well as its ability to provide effective dispute resolution mechanisms, citing examples such as the military coup in Myanmar and the challenges facing Hong Kong. However, Australia shares ASEAN's agenda for a peaceful, inclusive and resilient region of sovereign states, and the importance of Southeast Asia to Australia's security, as well as the centrality of ASEAN in the region, means that it is important to work in multilateral as well as bilateral contexts with Southeast Asian partners.
5.11
Recognising the centrality of ASEAN in existing regional architecture, the committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to remain fully engaged with ASEAN and ASEAN-led multilateral institutions as well as deepen cooperation with member states individually.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
5.12
The Quad is a relatively new diplomatic network—involving Australia, the United States, Japan and India—that has demonstrated considerable potential to be utilised as a vehicle for promoting Australia’s strategic interests in the region, underpinned by the shared democratic values of its partners to support an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region.
5.13
The committee recognises the Quad as a key strategic regional mechanism for practical cooperation on the Indo-Pacific region’s most pressing challenges and, importantly, complements Australia’s engagement with ASEAN and other bilateral, multilateral and regional engagement. The committee also notes the opportunity for Southeast Asian nations and other regional actors to engage with the Quad through the Quad Plus process.
5.14
The Quad has the capacity to promote democratic values in the region, as well to address human security issues such as health, human and labour rights, and climate change. Additionally, the Quad presents opportunities for enhancing traditional security through mechanisms such as military cooperation and joint exercises with regional partners.
5.15
Evidence received by the committee demonstrated that there was no appetite for the institutionalisation of the Quad and its value was clearly seen in its flexibility as a dynamic informal regional network with action-oriented capabilities.
5.16
The committee notes the success of the recent Foreign Ministers' Meeting, held virtually on 18 February 2021, and inaugural Leaders' Summit, held virtually on 12 March 2021. The committee commends the announcement of the Quad’s Vaccine Partnership, the Climate Working Group and the Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group from the Leaders’ Summit.
5.17
The committee also notes the upcoming in-person Leaders’ Summit to be hosted by United States President Biden on 24 September 2021, and looks forward to the outcomes of that meeting.
5.18
The committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to its proactive engagement with the Quad in order to promote an open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region and work to address the region’s most pressing challenges.
Engagement with India
5.19
India is proving to be a significant and influential actor within the Indo-Pacific region and is a partner of strategic importance for Australia. Therefore, the committee notes that this relationship will be important to the future stability and resilience of the region.
5.20
Concerns were raised in the evidence regarding India’s willingness to engage with regional partners on defence and strategic cooperation. However, the recent inaugural India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue showed promise for deepening Australia and India’s bilateral cooperation in the region with both parties reaffirming their commitment to the rules-based order, support for ASEAN, continued productive engagement in the Quad, and broadening defence cooperation and enhancing defence engagements through such initiatives as Exercise Malabar and Talisman Sabre.
5.21
The committee acknowledges that the meeting was a significant milestone in the strategic relationship between Australia and India and believes that the two nations’ strategic interests are continuing to converge and draw strength from a mutual commitment to democratic values.
5.22
The committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to explore opportunities to deepen its bilateral relationship with India as well as through multilateral mechanisms, including the Quad.
Health security and health support
5.23
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of cooperation on health security and health support, emphasising the need for building regional capacity to prevent and address public health emergencies. The committee notes that Australia is committed to strengthening health security and enhancing resilience in the Indo-Pacific region.
5.24
The committee notes that the suitability of existing regional architecture and country-groupings to address key health security and health support issues in the Indo-Pacific appears to have shown good progress, particularly in relation to cooperation between key strategic partners on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the committee looks forward to seeing how the Quad Vaccine Partnership in close coordination with the existing relevant multilateral mechanisms—including the World Health Organisation and COVAX—progresses and achieves its goals.
5.25
The committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to support its regional partners in areas of health security and health support, particularly in this challenging time as the world works through the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so, Australia should utilise key regional mechanisms such as ASEAN, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Quad to provide health assistance and support vaccine supply to its regional partners in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. Australia should also emphasise in regional forums that assistance with vaccines should be provided without conditions.
5.26
The committee recommends the Australian Government:
invest in efforts to strengthen regional pandemic preparedness and resilience, and consider bilateral and multilateral programmes designed to assist Indo-Pacific countries enhance their preparedness for future health security challenges in areas of detecting, containing and controlling disease; and
continue to support its regional partners in recovering from the health and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Areas to increase regional cooperation
Human and labour rights
5.27
The committee is concerned about the human rights issues in the Indo-Pacific region and spoke to several groups and individuals to gain a current perspective. The committee recognises that Australia is committed to advancing human rights in the Indo-Pacific region, and this commitment reflects national values, respect for democracy, and the rule of law.
5.28
The existing regional architecture provides opportunities to address key human security issues in the Indo-Pacific. For example, Australia’s cooperation with ASEAN covers a breadth of human security priorities, including human and labour rights issues. Australia should look for opportunities for increased engagement and cooperation on these issues through ASEAN and other regional fora while maintaining its willingness to speak out against human rights violations and abuses.
5.29
The committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to focus on improving human and labour rights in the Indo-Pacific region by looking for opportunities for increased engagement and cooperation while speaking out against human rights violations and abuses.
Environment and climate change
5.30
A part of the broader human security agenda, environmental and climate security are key concerns for Australia and its partners in the
Indo-Pacific region. Climate change poses short, medium, and long-term challenges for all Indo-Pacific countries, most notably for Australia’s neighbours in the Pacific.
5.31
The committee received suggestions for increased engagement and cooperation, including:
continuing to cooperate with ASEAN on climate change, for example through climate change capacity building programs with the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources; and
recommitting efforts under the Pacific Step-up program and proactively work to build the capacity of Pacific Island nations to address the human security threats posed by climate change.
5.32
The committee supports the establishment of the Quad’s Climate Working Group and Australia’s commitment to cooperate on climate mitigation, adaptation, resilience, technology, capacity building, and climate finance.
5.33
The committee recommends that the Australian Government increase its investment, engagement and cooperation in the region to address environment and climate change issues and build capacity for resilience in the region.
5.34
Despite not being raised in the evidence, the committee also notes the continued protection of the Antarctic as another area of strategic interest for Australia. Where opportunities present, Australia should utilise available channels in the existing regional architecture, including through bilateral and multilateral partnerships, to encourage support for the rules-based order and the continued protection of shared interests in the Antarctic, as outlined in the Antarctic Treaty System’s Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.
Key areas of opportunity for regional cooperation
Critical minerals
5.35
There appears to be an opportunity for further investment in and support for the critical minerals industry as a strategic area of interest for Australia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific. As highlighted by the Australasian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM), critical minerals are central to a number of strategic areas of interest including: energy, communications and transport technologies, research and development, trade, supply chain resilience, as well as defence and regional security.
5.36
The committee notes DISER’s engagement in this area with its involvement in the Trilateral EU-US-Japan Conference on Critical Materials which provides a forum for information exchange on critical materials, including the latest research and development, renewable energy technologies, and collaboration on the supply of rare earths and supply chain resilience.
5.37
The committee recommends that the Australian Government consider seeking out opportunities to deepen cooperation between regional security partners in the area of critical minerals, which could include drawing upon the strengths of Australia’s resources industry and professionals and facilitating additional investment opportunities, including in supporting skills development, networking and capacity building.
Science and technology
5.38
The development and enhancement of science and technology directly supports Australia’s strategic interests across a number of areas including defence, cybersecurity, energy, transport, communications, health, and climate.
5.39
The committee recognises the work of DISER in engaging with Indo-Pacific regional architecture to cooperate in the areas of science and technology, including through its work with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation. In addition, DISER’s portfolio agency, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), will be important in facilitating Australia’s continued engagement with a number of global and regional institutions on nuclear science and technology, such as through the International Atomic Energy Agency; the Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology for Asia and the Pacific; and the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia.
5.40
The committee also looks forward to the outcomes of the Quad’s Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group and sees it as a positive opportunity to advance an inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific where critical and emerging technology is governed and operates according to shared interests and values.
The Northern Territory
5.41
The committee acknowledges the important role that the Northern Territory plays in supporting Australia’s strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly given its geostrategic location in the region which presents opportunities for enhancing defence and security capabilities and cooperation.
5.42
The committee recommends that the Australian Government:
work with the Northern Territory government to explore opportunities to enhance Northern Territory’s place as a strategic asset for Australia’s security and defence capabilities in the Indo-Pacific; and
consider how it can further develop the Northern Territory as an 'Alliance Hub' that supports not only the Australian Defence Force but also key allies such as the United States, United Kingdom and partners such as India, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and the Republic of Korea. Opportunities could also be explored to include Timor-Leste in these arrangements given their proximity and existing cooperation with the Australian Defence Force. In light of recent announcements such as AUKUS, an Alliance Hub could also present opportunities.
5.43
Furthermore, the committee notes the potential value in considering a defence posture review which could, for example, feed into the establishment of an Alliance Hub and force posture initiatives in the Northern Territory.
Senator Kimberley Kitching
Chair