Asialink and Asia Society AustralAsia Centre Group CEO, Jenny McGregor today said that relations with Asia must be a priority for the next Federal Government.
Releasing a statement of 'Asia priorities' for the next ten years, Ms McGregor said a long-term bipartisan commitment was required to ensure Australians were fully able to engage with Asia over the coming Century.
The statement, endorsed by the Asialink and Asia Society Boards, calls for greater resources to prepare Australia for the Asian Century.
"Australian governments must make an enduring and significant investment in equipping young Australians for the challenges of business, of solving regional and global issues, and of managing the increasingly complex interactions around our region," she said.
“Australia’s top four export markets are all in Asia. Last year, sales of Australian product to these four – China, Japan, Korea and India – dwarfed US and UK sales eight to one. Our services trade with Asia grows twice as fast as with the rest of the world.
“Our security, health and development interests lie in the Asian region. In preventing pandemics and people smuggling, in building transparent and accountable systems to support trade and investment, in forging creative exchanges in the arts and in science, Australians need to be more than ever focused on Asia.
Read Asialink and Asia Society AustralAsia Centre's Australian policy priorities for the next ten years here.