Roundtable with Professor Stephen Smith

On Tuesday 12 December 2023, the Perth USAsia Centre hosted the High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom, the Honourable Stephen Smith for a private roundtable to discuss the UK’s role in the Indo-Pacific and its significance for the bilateral relationship.
 
In 2021, the UK released its “Integrated Review”, a framework that recognised the importance of the Indo-Pacific and included the UK’s “Indo-Pacific tilt”.
 
Since then, the UK has published its “Integrated Review Refresh”, which provides the basis for the UK to boost its partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, including through accession to the Comprehensive and Progressing Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), participation in the AUKUS trilateral technology partnership, and becoming an ASEAN Dialogue Partner.
 
As long-standing economic and security partners, Australia’s interests align closely with the UK’s strategic outlook. Increased cooperation in areas such as technological innovation and labour mobility will further transform and modernise the relationship to adapt to the increasing strategic uncertainty facing the Indo-Pacific region.