Australia-Japan-ASEAN: Strengthening the Core of the Indo-Pacific

The Perth USAsia Centre, in partnership with the Consulate-General of Japan in Perth, present a public forum featuring diplomats and experts from Japan, Australia, and ASEAN to discuss opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region for Australian organisations and businesses.

Australia and Japan have adopted the Indo-Pacific as a guiding concept of their foreign policy making. The concept puts the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at its core. ASEAN countries are important partners for Japan and Australia as they seek to solve problems in the wider Indo-Pacific region.

This event will focus on how Australia, Japan and ASEAN can address issues in the Indo-Pacific including the different definitions of a "free and open" Indo-Pacific; the lack of infrastructure and connectivity; how the Indo-Pacific regional construct is reshaping foreign policy strategies of countries such as Japan, Australia and countries in ASEAN; as well as what Australian businesses can do to address these issues.

This event will feature keynote speeches from:
* His Excellency Ambassador Reiichiro Takahashi - Japan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Australia
* Mr Philip Green OAM - First Assistant Secretary, United States and Indo-Pacific Strategy Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Followed by a panel discussion which will feature:
* Ms Yuka Uchida Ando - Former Political Secretary to the Foreign Minister of Japan
* Mr C. Raja Mohan - Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore
* Dr Mely Caballero-Anthony - Head of the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies