Penny Wong

Minister Penny Wong's trip is raising hopes for progress on issues ranging from trade restrictions to detained Australians.

With the election of a new Australian government, the chance to elevate ties between Hanoi and Canberra to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership is within reach.

Penny Wong's trip is her second to Southeast Asia in the month since she took up the foreign affairs portfolio.

After a whirlwind of visits and agreements, where does the Pacific region stand?

The Pacific Islands are not interested in being Australia’s – or China’s – “little brothers.”

The foreign ministers of Australia and China were both making their final stops Friday on what has become an island-hopping diplomatic duel in the South Pacific.

The trip will be the first by an Australian leader since Scott Morrison attended President Joko Widodo's inauguration in late 2019.

Australia’s new government and the United States are both moving urgently to boost ties with Pacific Island countries as the scope of China’s ambition becomes clear.

The Albanese government is in a good position to craft a more productive, less alienating approach toward a crucial region.