Australia shifts Asian focus with change in government

The new Labor government is adopting a different diplomatic approach that views neighbours such as Indonesia on their own terms, and not simply through the prism of their stand on China.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the presidential palace in Bogor, on June 6, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS
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Within its first month, Australia's new Labor government has moved swiftly to emphasise both continuity and change in Canberra's foreign policy coordinates.

On his first day in power, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took the oath of office and then, accompanied by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, flew directly to Tokyo for a Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) leaders' meeting.

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