It has been great to spend some time in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur over the last week, including attending Cyber Security Asia
2018 in KL and the second Cyber Risk Meetup in Singapore.My trip came off the back of the 50th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore, which is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair this year, hosting the annual series of meetings at the Shangri-La Hotel. In his opening speech, Prime Minister Lee confirmed that strengthening regional economic cooperation and integration is key for ASEAN to fully realise its potential. This includes progressing the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025, as well as supporting an open and inclusive multilateral system amid growing trade conflict. Despite the trade uncertainty raised by the USA and China trade war, ASEAN leaders also agreed to work on the Digital Trade Standards Cooperation Initiative – a joint development by ASEAN and Australia.
The same week also saw Australia and Indonesia conclude an agreement of closer economic engagement, signing the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) designed to drive growth for Australian business by creating new opportunities in Indonesia. Australia’s Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews said “Under this agreement, over 99 per cent of Australian goods exported to Indonesia will either be duty free or enter under significantly improved preferential arrangements by 2020.” Underlining the importance of the deal, Australia’s newest Prime Minister, the sixth leader for the country in a decade, ensured he kept with Malcolm Turnbull’s commitment to attend. Worth noting also, Scott Morrison has banned Chinese companies from supplying equipment for Australia’s 5G network and eliminated the ministries of Innovation and Cyber Security in his Cabinet reshuffle…Click here to read full article.
