Southeast Asia is central to Australia’s national interests and our partnerships are deep and long‑standing. Australia is linked to Southeast Asia by more than geography. In addition to our strong family, business, education, and tourism links, we share a vision for a region that is stable, prosperous, and respectful of sovereignty.  

Deepening Australia’s engagement with Southeast Asia is a priority for the Australian Government. The Office of Southeast Asia in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade leads our whole-of-nation approach with the region.

Deepening Australia's engagement with Southeast Asia

Trade and investment

Australia and Southeast Asia's trade interests are inextricably linked. Australia's two-way trade with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is greater than our trade with Japan or the United States, passing $183.4 billion in 2023, and our two-way stock of total investment with ASEAN in 2023 was $282 billion. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam were also in our top 15 trading partners for 2023. In any match-up of economic complementarity with growth potential, the greatest trade and economic opportunities for Australia over the next 30 years lie in the ASEAN region.

On 6 September 2023, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese launched Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, a report to the Australian Government from Special Envoy for Southeast Asia Mr Nicholas Moore AO. The report sets out a practical pathway to significantly increase two-way trade and investment between Australia and Southeast Asia. The Prime Minister committed to immediately support three initiatives that go to the heart of the strategy: investment deal teams, a Southeast Asia Business Exchange Program, and a pilot exchange program for young professionals. At the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit (4-6 March 2024), the Australian Government announced a further package of initiatives to take forward additional recommendations in the report. See details here:

• ASEAN-Australia Special Summit Outcomes Summary
• Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet: 2024 ASEAN-Australia Special Summit
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: ASEAN and Australia

The ASEAN-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) is an important symbol of our commitment to ASEAN and its central role in the Indo-Pacific. The CSP investments represent the largest ever increase in Australia’s development cooperation program with ASEAN.

Australia was an original party to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement when it entered into force on 1 January 2022. RCEP reinforces ASEAN's centrality within the Indo-Pacific regional economic architecture and rules-based order and brings together Australia, New Zealand, ASEAN and the major North Asian economies of China, Japan and South Korea. RCEP is now the world’s largest free trade agreement by members’ combined gross domestic product (GDP).

On 21 August 2023, Australia signed the Second Protocol upgrading the ASEAN Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). The AANZFTA Upgrade is a historic step towards deeper regional economic integration and provides both economic and strategic advantages to Australia. The Regional Trade for Development Initiative (RT4D) provides technical assistance and capacity building to support ASEAN countries to realise the full benefits of RCEP and an upgraded AANZFTA.

We work closely with our bilateral partners and neighbours to provide mutually beneficial economic opportunities, including through the:

• Australia-Vietnam Enhanced Economic Engagement Strategy
• Australia‑Singapore Digital Economy Agreement
• Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA).

We are also helping to advance high-quality development across Southeast Asia through Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I), and economic integration in the Mekong-Australia Partnership.

Development cooperation

Australia’s new International Development Policy outlines how Australia will support Southeast Asia in our shared development priorities. Australia increased development assistance to $1.3 billion to Southeast and East Asia in May 2024.

Australia’s development cooperation in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Timor-Leste and Vietnam tackles some of our region’s most pressing priorities – inclusive economic growth, climate change and the clean energy transition, gender equality, and knowledge and skills development.

Australia’s regional and multi-country partnerships and programs tackle shared challenges across Southeast Asia. We work closely with ASEAN and the Mekong subregion to pursue a region a that is peaceful, stable and prosperous.

Our approach to regional development cooperation is outlined in the Southeast Asia Regional Development Partnership Plan.

Climate action and transition to net zero

Australia is ambitious for what we can achieve together with the region in confronting the challenges of climate change.

We are supporting enhanced climate action in Southeast Asia and helping accelerate the region’s energy transition. We want to realise the economic opportunities for countries in our region in our transition to a net-zero world. Our commitments include $200 million towards a new climate and infrastructure partnership with Indonesia, and $105 million to support Vietnam’s sustainable economic growth. We are supporting development of the ASEAN Strategy on Carbon Neutrality by the ASEAN Secretariat.

Australia is working with our partners in the region to build a resilient, clean energy sector and unlock green trade and investment. For example, the landmark Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement supports Australia's economic, trade, investment, and climate change objectives while building on our substantial bilateral relationship with Singapore.

Gender equality and disability inclusion

Australia is committed to working with ASEAN and a range of partners across the region including partner governments, private sector and civil society to tackle the structural barriers that prevent gender equality and realisation of the rights of people with disabilities.

A new phase of Investing in Women (2023-2027; up to $80 million) will further our investment in women’s economic empowerment in Southeast Asia, through increased and equitable opportunities in the private sector. Australia is collaborating with regional partners on the new $20 million Southeast Asia Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention Platform. It will work across governments, civil society, and regional and international organisations to build locally led capacity, evidence and practice to prevent GBV in all its forms.

Australia’s Southeast Asia Maritime Partnerships

Australia is investing $64 million over four years (2024-2028) to enhance our Southeast Asia Maritime Partnerships. This will expand Australia's maritime cooperation with regional partners and contribute to our interests in a peaceful, stable and prosperous region, consistent with the priorities of Southeast Asian countries. Australia is supporting government and institutional cooperation through practical maritime activities to help address shared challenges and uphold international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Partnerships will support practical maritime activities including skills development, training and technology transfer. For example, conserving coral reefs through the Australian Institute of Marine Science, maritime law enforcement and domain awareness through the Australian Border Force, geospatial mapping through Geoscience Australia, marine environmental governance through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, and marine protection through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

In addition, we continue to support a range of initiatives to support countries to manage their maritime domains and marine environments and uphold the law of the sea, including through:

• The $14.4 million Combatting Illegal Fishing and Promoting Sustainable Fisheries in SEA program delivered by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
• Building capacity in maritime law, governance and coordination through partnerships with the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong, including:
  • law of the sea training
  • the Southeast Asian Women in Maritime Security Network, and
  • maritime security scholarships for Master’s and PhD candidates
• Fostering regional academic research on maritime policy issues through the $1.75 million Blue Security initiative, a consortium of Australian universities.

Cyber and critical tech cooperation

Australia is committed to working with Southeast Asian countries to champion a safe, secure and prosperous Australia, Indo-Pacific and world enabled by cyberspace and critical technology.

The Cyber and Critical Tech Cooperation Program (CCTCP) works across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen cyber resilience, aligning with priorities in Australia’s 2023-2030 Cyber Security Strategy.  Since 2016, just over $40 million has been invested in Southeast Asia, supporting more than 70 projects, in 11 countries. The program includes $7.5 million to enhance cyber security capability across the region and $6.8 million on advocating and protecting human rights and democracy online.

Defence engagement

Australia has broad, deep and longstanding defence partnerships across Southeast Asia, and we are working to tighten our military ties with the region. Australia has Defence Attachés/Advisers in all ASEAN countries. Each year, Defence participates in around 50 exercises with Southeast Asian partners, and makes about 1,000 offers for military officers from ASEAN countries to study in Australia.

Defence is also expanding our cooperation on areas including maritime security, peacekeeping, military medicine and English language training. Australia’s flagship regional engagement activity, Indo-Pacific Endeavour, visits multiple countries across the region during deployments.

The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) have provided an indispensable anchor for regional security for over 50 years. The FPDA strengthens cooperation, and makes it easier for our militaries to work together when it counts.

Australia strongly supports the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework, which fosters open dialogue and practical defence cooperation. We actively participate in each of the seven ADMM-Plus Experts Working Groups (EWGs), including the EWG on military Medicine, which we are co-chairing with Brunei for 2021-24. 

Health partnerships

Australia is helping to build resilient and equitable health systems in Southeast Asia. Through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative, we are supporting countries in the region to reduce disease risks, burdens and respond effectively to health emergencies. This continued investment in health is an important contribution to Southeast Asia’s recovery from the pandemic and builds on the COVID-19 vaccine support provided under the Regional Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative and Quad Vaccine Partnership.

People connections

More than one million Australians claim Southeast Asian ancestry. We share close ties through the New Colombo Plan, Australia Awards (including the Aus4ASEAN scholarships) and Australian Volunteers Program, and support a range of public diplomacy initiatives in the region.

Our people and institutional connections with Southeast Asia are also further enhanced through the Australia-ASEAN Council and Australia-Indonesia Institute.