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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspondent

Australia’s diplomatic influence in Asia on the rise as ALP advances interests abroad

United States Australia Asia Lowy Institute China India Japan Russia
Penny Wong in Beijing
Australian foreign affairs minister Penny Wong in Beijing in December, where she met her Chinese counterpart on the first trip to China by an Australian minister in three years Photograph: SUPPLIED/AAP

Australia has enjoyed a big increase in its diplomatic influence in Asia over the past year, according to the latest ratings of power across the region.

The Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index, published on Monday, also shows Australia’s standing has emerged unscathed from pandemic-era disruptions, unlike the region’s big players the US and China and many other countries.

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