Duncan Lewis, the former director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Service (ASIO), has called on the new Albanese government to develop relations with Indonesia facing the challenges of international affairs in its Pacific neighbour.
Anthony Albanese, the new Australian prime minister, has promised that his government will take the geostrategic environment of the Pacific seriously.
“My government will take action. We will engage much more strongly with our neighbours,” Albanese told Sky News on Thursday.
“China is seeking to extend its influence into the region. During the election campaign, the Solomon Islands (security) deal was front and centre, but we know that from China’s perspective, that’s just the first of a range of deals they want to exercise.”
Speaking on the Australian National University’s National Security Podcast, Lewis, the former head of ASIO and national security adviser, said the newly elected Labor government would face challenges on international issues.
“If you’re going to start a meaningful conversation with other countries in the region about the future, that needs to be done on the basis of some trust and some goodwill,” he said. “You don’t start in opposite corners.
“To this extent, the current that the change of government has just taken place might allow better, freer, more free-flowing discussions to take place.
“My concern in the last few years has been that we have been rather louder than we should have been.
“We’ve been in the forefront of some of the criticism of states such as China when we might have been better to have been one back and one wide. Speak softly but carry a big stick.”
The former ASIO head told the podcast that AUKUS is a game-changer in the region and that a better Australia-Indonesia relationship would be critical for Australia at this point.
“Indonesia is a relationship which requires even more attention than it has over the years. It is a critical relationship,” Lewis said.
“It is one where we have enormous resources in this country of knowledge about Indonesia, and it’s not ... being properly harnessed.”
Meanwhile, Penny Wong, the new Australian Foreign Minister has, travelled to Fiji on May 26 for a South Pacific tour.
“The visit, in my first week as Foreign Minister, demonstrates the importance we place on our relationship with Fiji and on our Pacific engagement.”