Asean, Australia reject protectionism
sydney — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Australia reject protectionism, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his Singapore counterpart said on Friday, amid fears about a possible trade war sparked by US plans to raise tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.
“You don’t grow stronger by closing the door to other markets. Protectionism is a dead end. It is not a ladder to get you out of the low growth trap, it is a shovel to dig it much deeper,” Turnbull told a special meeting of Asean in Sydney.
“We must face the world, not turn from it. Embrace free trade, not retreat from it,” Turnbull said on day one of the three-day summit.
The anti-protectionism comments come as market sentiment sours with signs of a looming trade war between the United States, China and Europe over US President Donald Trump’s plans to raise tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, and possibly up to $60 billion worth of Chinese imports, targeting technology and telecommunications sectors.
“I know the global mood may be heading in the opposite direction but within Asean we are working to deepen and deepen interdependence to work together to open up markets,” Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.
Australia is hosting the Asean meeting, despite not being a member of the 10-nation bloc, as it seeks to deepen political and trade ties in the face of China’s rising influence.
Trade is a central topic of the meeting, though human rights and Chinese assertiveness are set to dominate talks between Australia and Asean countries.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she would raise human rights concerns with leaders in Myanmar, which has been criticised for its crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, and Cambodia, which has dissolved the main opposition party and jailed government critics.
Asked whether the Asean meeting was a direct counter to China’s growing interest in the region, Bishop said Australia believed the bloc brought it “peace, stability and security”.
“We don’t see it as having a role to balance the powers in the IndoPacific but rather be at the heart of the engagement collaboration with
We must face the world, not turn from it. Embrace free trade, not retreat from it Malcolm Turnbull, Australian Prime Minister
other countries,” she told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio.
China claims most of the South China Sea, an important trade route which is believed to contain large quantities of oil and natural gas, and has been building artificial islands on reefs, some with ports and air strips.
Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, all of which are members of Asean, and Taiwan also have claims in the sea.
Lee acknowledged China’s rise had stoked divisions within Asean.
“There is a shift in the global strategic balance, Chinese influence is growing with its economy and strength, and its interest in the region and beyond,” he said.
“There is a range of different perspectives and responses to this shift in the balance among different Asean countries.”
Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu on Friday said he had lobbied other Asean defence ministers to carry out maritime patrols in the South China Sea among efforts to improve regional security.
Although several Asean countries already conduct joint exercises, other China-aligned member nations oppose such operations, making a consensus at the summit difficult.