Will Australia’s military spending surge boost its maritime security ties with Asean?

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government’s plan would eventually increase the navy’s surface combatant fleet to 26 from 11, the largest it has been since the end of World War II.

Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow in the Southeast Asia programme at the Lowy Institute in Australia, said both Australia and Asean’s strategic interests converge in a stable and secure maritime domain.

“This is one area in which we hope to see more Asean-Australia cooperation,” Rahman said, adding that announcements on joint initiatives on climate change and business interests will be expected during the summit.

Rahman noted that Canberra’s increased defence spending and naval power expansion were generally accepted by Asean, which sees Australia as a “benign security partner with no ill-intention” and which is likely to contribute to security and stability in the region.

“Australia is generally a trusted security partner for Asean,” Rahman said, noting that Canberra is deeply entrenched in security arrangements with Asean.

After Australia’s Marles met his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta last Friday, both countries said they planned to sign a “very significant” defence cooperation agreement within the next few months.

Canberra and Jakarta agreed last year to elevate their existing defence cooperation arrangement to one that was “binding under international law”.

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But there will be a “mixed reaction” from Southeast Asia towards Australia’s boost in defence spending, said Hanh Nguyen, a PhD student at the Australian National University and research fellow at the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies.

“But much will also