Southeast Asian states announces new strategic pact with Australia (updated)

Mexan

27/10/2021 13:36

* Partnership would be first for ASEAN bloc
    * Australia PM defends AUKUS trilateral pact
    * Jokowi fears regional rivalry
    * Morrison says Australia committed to regional stability

 (Releads with Australia, ASEAN agreement)
    By Ain Bandial and Tom Allard
    BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Australia and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed at a
summit on Wednesday to establish a "comprehensive strategic
partnership", a sign of Canberra's ambition to play a bigger
role in the region.
    The pact would further strengthen Australia's diplomatic and
security ties in a fast-growing region that has become a
strategic battleground between the United States and China.
    While concrete strategic objectives of the partnership were
not immediately announced, Prime Minister Scott Morrison
promised Australia would "back it with substance".
    "This milestone underscores Australia's commitment to
ASEAN's central role in the Indo-Pacific and positions our
partnership for the future," he said in a joint statement with
Foreign Minister Marise Payne. "Australia supports a peaceful,
stable, resilient, and prosperous region, with ASEAN at its
heart." 
    Brunei, serving as chair of ASEAN, said the agreement
"marked a new chapter in relations" and would be "meaningful,
substantive and mutually beneficial".
    After the announcement, Australia said it would invest $154
million in projects in Southeast Asia on health and energy
security, counter-terrorism, fighting and transnational crime,
plus hundreds of scholarships. 
    China has also sought an agreement on the same strategic
level with ASEAN. Premier Li Keqiang met ASEAN leaders on
Tuesday, and the bloc's leaders will meet China's President Xi
Jinping in November at a special summit, to be held virtually,
two diplomatic sources told Reuters.
    Australia already has bilateral strategic partnerships of
various levels with Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore,
the Philippines and Vietnam.
    
    STABILITY AND SECURITY
    Morrison also sought to reassure ASEAN that a trilateral
security pact agreed last month between the United States,
Britain and Australia, under which Australia will get access to
nuclear-powered submarines, would be no threat to the region.
    One ambassador to ASEAN, who asked not to be identified,
said Australia clinching the comprehensive strategic partnership
with ASEAN was "quite something" in the wake of regional
reservations over its new AUKUS pact with Washington and London.
    "Kudos to Australia," the ambassador said.
    AUKUS has raised some concerns in Southeast Asia that China
could see it as a move by the West to challenge its growing
influence in the region, particularly in the South China Sea.
    The United States and allies have increased patrols to
challenge Beijing's vast maritime fleet which it deploys to
buttress its claims to sovereignty over most of the South China
Sea.
    "AUKUS adds to our network of partnerships that support
regional stability and security," Morrison said.
    Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday said he was
concerned AUKUS "could spark rivalry in the region", according
to his foreign minister, Retno Marsudi.
    U.S. ally the Philippines has backed AUKUS but its
president, Rodrigo Duterte, on Wednesday said it "must
complement and not complicate our working methods for
cooperation."
    Military analysts have said the nuclear submarines Australia
will purchase from the United States have unmatched stealth and
underwater longevity. China has opposed the pact and said it
could be damaging and intensify an arms race. 
    U.S. President Joe Biden was due to join the virtual East
Asia Summit later on Wednesday, with leaders of China, India,
Australia, New Zealand, Russia and South Korea, Japan and ASEAN
members.
    In an earlier meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
stressed to Southeast Asian leaders his country's strong
opposition to challenges to a free and open maritime order,
underscoring regional concerns about China's growing military
clout.

 (Reporting by Ain Bandial in Bandar Seri Begawan and Tom Allard
in Sydney; Additional reporting by Stanley Widianto in Jakarta;
Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo, Colin Packham in Canberra and Neil
Jerome Morales in Manila; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by
Simon Cameron-Moore and Peter Graff)
 ((martin.petty@tr.com; +66896070413))