On to trade, and the prime minister says:

Last year, Australia’s two-way trade with South-East Asia reached a record high. Two-way trade has grown by nearly $6 billion, while Australian investment in the region has increased by around $2 billion. And that hasn’t happened by wishing and hoping.

It’s been shaped by the expert of and insights of our 10 business champions, including our Business Champion for Malaysia, Tony Lombardo, the CEO of Lendlease.

It’s been driven by our Deal teams, identifying potential projects across the region. This combination means that Australia’s making new investment in farming in Laos, energy in Thailand, infrastructure in Vietnam, and through Toll, transport and logistics across South-East Asia. From our government’s point of view, this is just the beginning. There is a $20 billion pipeline of projects where we see value for Australian capital and financing.

What’s more, we’re backing ideas and innovation too. The landing pads that we’ve established in Jakarta, Ho chi Min City and Singapore, have more than 160 Australian tech companies to scale up their presence in the region. And through to the ethos of ASEAN and the spirit of mutual benefit, we have worked to make it easier for the economies of South-East Asia to invest in Australia.