The Albanese government has made its first round of diplomatic appointments, including the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
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Foreign Minister Penny Wong named only career diplomats for the seven posts. Not a single ex-politician was among them, keeping with expectations after top Labor figures criticised the previous Coalition government before the election for the volume of political appointments of former politicians in need of a job.
"Australia's ability to advance our interests abroad is dependent on the capability of our foreign service," Senator Wong said, and appointing experienced departmental officers "underscores my commitment to enhanced Australian diplomatic capacity."
The new appointments were Ms Berenice Owen-Jones as Australia's next High Commissioner to Ghana; Ms Katie Smith as Australia's next Ambassador to Mongolia; Mr Neil Hawkins as Australia's next High Commissioner to Pakistan; Ms Hae Kyong (HK) Yu PSM as Australia's next Ambassador to the Philippines; Mr Paul Stephens as Australia's next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka; Dr Angela Macdonald PSM as Australia's next Ambassador to Thailand; and Ms Annelise Young as Australia's next Consul-General in Noumea.
Senator Wong arrived in Singapore and made a major speech on Wednesday following a meeting with Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan.
Dr Balakrishnan thanked Australia for providing military training facilities that contributed to the "deep wells of strategic trust" between the two countries, which the joint development of a Green Economy Agreement also contributed.
Senator Wong was questioned by reporters about progress on groundbreaking meeting between Australia and China's foreign ministers at a G20 ministerial meeting in Bali this week, affirming Australia remained open to engagement with China at the G20.
"Australian ministers remain open to engagement and that extends to the G20 - these arrangements are very fluid, [but] that willingness to engagement remains," Senator Wong said.
Australia and China had a "complex and consequential relationship", she said, but both countries had an interest in stabilising the relationship. The minister said the Australian government maintained its concerns about China's economic coercive measures.
"Power and size ought not resolve differences - otherwise people's sovereignty is infringed on," she said.
In her major speech about the challenges for ASEAN, the foreign minister backed ASEAN's efforts to end the violent in Myanmar and called for the release of Australian professor Sean Turnell charged with breaching the Myanmar Official Secrets act while working in an advisory capacity to Aung San Suu Kyi.
Senator Wong also urged China to intervene with Russia and "exert their influence to end this war" in Ukraine.
The foreign minister has toured the Indo-Pacific with a blistering pace since Labor took office in May, visiting Malaysia, Vietnam, Solomon Islands, and New Zealand.
In Malaysia, Senator Wong addressed concerns about Australia's new military technology cooperation pact AUKUS with the United States and United Kingdom, saying Australia would not become a nuclear power in the region.
"There are nuclear powers in this region, but Australia is not one of them."