Roundtable with the Hon Arthur Sinodinos AO

he Perth USAsia Centre hosted Ambassador of Australia to the United States, the Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO, on 27 October, 2022.

Participants discussed the critical role of the US-Australia alliance and its future trajectory.
The dialogue began with a reflection on the complex domestic and global context that coincided with the Ambassador’s time in Washington.

This included the Covid-19 pandemic, the transition to from the Trump to Biden administrations, an intense US domestic debate around race and law enforcement, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Dialogue participants sought the Ambassador’s views on these developments and as well as the growing assertiveness of China, the AUKUS agreement and the elevation of the Quad dialogue of the US, Australia, Japan and India.

Other topics of discussion were the future of regional trade liberalisation and potential results of the upcoming US mid-term congressional elections and 2024 presidential poll.

Event attendees included representatives of government, business, academia, and civil society.