ASEAN: Penny Wong warns nations on China as Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim defends relationship

Penny Wong has issued a pointed warning about the rising threat from China amid fears the region is not keeping up with measures needed to avert conflict in the most confronting circumstances for decades.

The Foreign Minister used a keynote speech at the opening of the ASEAN-Australia special summit in Melbourne to say open communication was vital to avoid potentially catastrophic missteps.

In a veiled swipe at China, which put countries including Australia into the diplomatic deep freeze for several years before reopening talks recently, Senator Wong said all nations in the region should “insist that communication never be withheld as punishment or offered as reward”.

But one of Australia’s oldest allies in the region, Malaysia, said countries should not have to choose between global powers just because others are not getting on with China.

Senator Wong gave her speech ahead of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcoming Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to the summit. Last week, Dr Anwar condemned a rising tide of “China-phobia” in the west.

Speaking alongside Mr Albanese on Monday, Dr Anwar said his country’s relationship with the US and Australia should not preclude it from “being friendly to one of our important neighbours”, China.

“We are fiercely independent. We do not want to be dictated by any force,” he said.

“And if they have problems with China, they should not impose it upon us. We do not have a problem with China.”

Mr Albanese said the two countries shared aspirations for the region to be “open, stable and prosperous and where sovereignty is respected and differences are settled through dialogue and agreed rules and norms”.

Senator Wong said Asian countries that were close to “ground zero” were increasingly worried about the risk of miscalculation.

“We face destabilising, provocative and coercive actions including unsafe conduct at sea and in the air and militarisation of disputed features,” Senator Wong said.

“We know that military power is expanding but measures to constrain military conflict are not, and there are a few concrete mechanisms for averting it. So these factors give rise to the most confronting circumstances in our region for decades.”

She highlighted Australia’s work in training ASEAN partners on law-of-the-sea issues and conflict prevention and announced a further $260 million to continue similar programs.

Senator Wong also emphasised the important role of the grouping of 10 South-East Asian nations in buttressing the norms and character of the region and preserving it free from coercion or threat of force.

Philippines foreign secretary Enrique Manalo said the enormous economic potential for the South China Sea would only be realised if all countries in the region were prepared to “gather more strongly around the collective responsibility” for maritime laws.

The Philippines has been dealing with increasing belligerence from China in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

Observers said Senator Wong had gone further than many expected, especially given the divisions over China among ASEAN countries meant leaders often had to talk around the issues rather than address them openly.

Australia has ambitions to increase trade and investment with ASEAN countries — a central focus of this week’s summit — but doing so requires open and secure sea lanes.

Maritime security expert Jennifer Parker likened the situation to the Cold War, when effort was put into “confidence-building measures” to either prevent incidents or prevent escalation if one occurred.

The same was needed now, she said, thus Australia was reinforcing its view that the law of the sea was pivotal to maritime security and had to be upheld.

“A key element of conflict prevention is communication,” Ms Parker said.

“What the current government has tried to do is open up lines of communication with China, and not tie them to, ‘Well you do everything we asked for or we won’t communicate with you’.”