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Australia should deepen economic, security ties with Southeast Asia in a fragmented world: SM Lee
Lee Hsien Loong urged Australia to deepen its economic, security and people-to-people ties with Southeast Asia, arguing that closer regional partnerships would strengthen Australia’s resilience and competitiveness. He said cooperation among smaller and medium-sized powers is increasingly important as great-power rivalry intensifies and multilateral institutions weaken.
Speaking in the 2026 ABC Boyer Lecture Series, Lee pointed to opportunities in digital and green industries, public health and counterterrorism, and called for Australia to maintain practical ties even with countries where relations are complicated. He said ASEAN has 700 million people and is the world’s fifth-largest economy, while Australia’s trade with the region is substantial and growing but its investment presence remains modest.
In short
- Lee called for closer Australia–Southeast Asia ties.
- He highlighted cooperation in security and emerging industries.
- Australia’s investment in the region remains modest.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Closer ties with Southeast Asia could help Australia diversify trade and investment, strengthen supply chains and work with nearby countries on shared challenges such as public health, counterterrorism and climate-related industries. In a more fragmented world, practical cooperation among regional powers may give each more resilience and a stronger voice, while sustained people-to-people links can build trust even where governments differ.
The case against
Deeper economic and security commitments could expose Australia to greater dependence on partners whose interests or political systems differ from its own, and may complicate its relationships with major powers. Advocates of caution could argue that expanding engagement should be selective and assessed against costs, security risks and the limits of ASEAN’s ability to act collectively, rather than treated as an automatic response to great-power rivalry.
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