Anthony Albanese in South Korea for ASEAN & Asia‑Pacific Economic Cooperation: What’s at Stake

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is undertaking a strategically significant trip to Asia, which takes him first to Malaysia for the 47th ASEAN Summit and then on to South Korea for the APEC South Korea 2025 meeting.

This isn’t simply a diplomatic “photo-op” tour: behind the scenes, the Albanese government is leveraging the summits to advance economic, trade and security priorities for Australia. Below is a deeper dive into the trip: what’s driving it, what will be on the agenda, what Australia stands to gain — and the challenges as well.

Why this trip matters

1. Trade & economic diversification
   Albanese has emphasised that “one in four Australian jobs rely on trade”. As global trade dynamics shift (including tensions between the US and China), Australia is hoping to deepen its ties with Asia-Pacific economies and reduce over-reliance on any single trading partner.

   His attendance at ASEAN followed closely by APEC means engaging both Southeast Asian economies and the broader Pacific rim region.

2. Security & strategic positioning
   With issues such as China’s posture in the South-China Sea, arms supply chains, and Australia’s role in the Indo-Pacific on the agenda, the region’s security dimension is front-and-centre. In the lead-up Albanese acknowledged these forums “come at a critical time” for trade, security and global challenges.

   The Australian-ASEAN relationship
   Australia has long sought to position itself as a close partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). By attending the summit and associated side-meetings, Albanese is signalling Canberra’s commitment to Southeast Asia rather than only focusing on major powers.

What’s on the agenda

Here are some of the key discussion points and objectives for the trip:

• Bilateral and multilateral trade deals: Australia will seek to unlock new trade and investment opportunities in Southeast Asia and the Pacific rim through the ASEAN summit and at APEC. As per Albanese: “Australia is working with regional leaders … through ASEAN, the East Asia Summit and APEC to support economic growth, security, and stability in the region.”

• Supply-chain resilience and critical minerals: With global competition intensifying in sectors such as rare earths and clean energy, Australia has a stake in ensuring its resources and industry are integrated into regional supply-chains.

• Security architecture & regional order: The trip occurs in the context of major geopolitical tension: the US-China rivalry, North Korea’s provocations, and questions about Australia’s future defence commitments. A significant part of Albanese’s message is promoting a “peaceful, stable and prosperous region”.

  ASEAN's centrality: Ensuring that ASEAN remains the hub of regional architecture — rather than being marginalised by great-power rivalry — is an objective that Australia shares with many Southeast Asian countries. Albanese’s participation underscores this.

• Upcoming bilateral meetings: On the margins of the summits, Albania will have one-on-one talks with counterparts — although specific details may yet be disclosed. For example, he is expected to participate in the APEC meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, which is host to the economic-leaders forum.

Why South Korea? Why Gyeongju?

The location of the economic-leaders forum for APEC is in Gyeongju, South Korea for 2025. South Korea is thus a key venue in this regional diplomatic sprint. By travelling there, Albanese taps into the broader Asia-Pacific agenda — not just Southeast Asia, but North-East Asia and trans-Pacific economic integration.

It gives Australia a platform to interface not only with ASEAN states but with East Asian major players like South Korea, Japan, China and the US — often simultaneously. The strategic benefits include:

• Being present where major power diplomacy intersects (US-China, Korea-Japan)

• Reinforcing Australia’s position as an integral Asia-Pacific partner (rather than simply Western-aligned)

• Using the economic forum (APEC) to promote trade liberalisation, innovation, climate-tech cooperation

Australia’s key interests & possible outcomes

Interests:

• Boosting Australian exports and jobs: With trade dependent jobs in mind, aligning with growing Asian economies helps Australia expand its market.

• Risk-management of the China factor: While China remains Australia’s largest trading partner, Canberra has indicated the need to diversify its relationships. Engagement with ASEAN and East Asia supports this.

• Defence and security partnerships: Australia wants to ensure it remains influential in the regional security architecture, including maritime security, intelligence partnerships, defence industry integration, and ensuring the rules-based order is maintained.

• Regional influence: By actively participating in these summits, Australia signals that it is not a passive bystander — it wants a say in how the regional order evolves.

Possible outcomes to watch for:

• Announcements of new trade deals or frameworks between Australia and ASEAN nations.

• Partnership agreements in clean-energy/critical-minerals sectors.

• Joint statements on regional security (e.g., support for ASEAN centrality, maritime rules, North Korea).

• Bilateral commitments with South Korea (or others) around supply-chains or defence-industry.

• Clear signals on Australia’s stance in US–China diplomacy — whether Australia shifts or reaffirms its positioning.

Challenges & caveats

• Major-power dynamics: One of the biggest risks is that Australia’s objectives may be constrained or overshadowed by the larger US-China rivalry. As the ABC analysis puts it, the dynamic in Asia is “very different” because of China’s role.

  ASEAN sensitivities: Although Australia wants deeper ties with ASEAN, Southeast Asian nations often wish to avoid being caught in great-power rivalries. Australia’s messaging must be sensitive to this.

• Delivery over promise: While lofty trade and strategic statements are common at summits, turning them into tangible outcomes (jobs, exports, industry) is harder.

• Domestic political context: For the Albanese government, demonstrating clear returns from international diplomacy can matter politically at home.

• Timing and optics: The timing of the trip, overlapping with US President Donald Trump’s visit to Asia and other global events, means Australia must navigate multiple agendas simultaneously.

What to watch next

• Formal communiqué or joint-statement from ASEAN with Australia as guest/invited partner — what language is used regarding Australia’s role?

• Bilateral announcements between Australia and South Korea (or other East Asian states) made during or following the APEC forum.

• Whether Australia’s trade diversification strategy includes concrete new frameworks or funds for ASEAN/East Asia engagement.

• Signals about future security cooperation, including how Australia positions itself relative to AUKUS, Quad, and other regional frameworks (even though this trip is more trade/economic-focused).

• Follow-up in Australia: How the Albanese government presents the trip domestically — in terms of jobs, trade gains, strategic wins.In summary

Anthony Albanese’s trip to Asia — first to Malaysia for the ASEAN forum, then to South Korea for APEC — demonstrates Australia’s determination to deepen its role in the region on multiple fronts: trade, security, industry, and diplomacy. At a time when Asia-Pacific is facing multiple cross-currents (US-China rivalry, supply-chain realignments, climate transition, maritime security), Australia wants to ensure it plays an active and constructive role.

For Australia, the payoff will come if this diplomacy translates into real jobs, exports, industrial partnerships, and stronger regional influence — not just headlines. The challenges are significant, but the opportunity is equally large.

• Prev
• Next