^{Screenshot from ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2018 Youtube Video}

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to skip the ASEAN-Australia commemorative summit did not come as a surprise. Despite the warm gesture extended by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull through a personal invitation, Duterte was unimpressed. Citing development issues as his main reason for staying put in Manila, Duterte is sending his top diplomat for the two-day summit instead. The firebrand leader’s decision to turn down the invite stems from his skepticism towards governments or states who have criticized his war on drugs.

But why is the absence of Duterte significant? The Philippines has been at the center of crucial developments in the region that mainly underscore regional security and stability. Duterte’s current foreign policy predispositions continue to facilitate China’s growing assertiveness, which aggravates the absence or lack of U.S. commitment in the region. Through the summit, Australia aims to buttress the declining international or regional order caused by the ongoing shift by engaging its immediate neighbors in Southeast Asia and key partners such as the Philippines.

Australia, for its part, views the conference as an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment of strengthening cooperation with its neighboring states through ASEAN as reflected on its Foreign Policy White paper published in 2017...

This article was first published by The Diplomat. To view the complete article please click here.

^{*Mark Manantan is a research affiliate of the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress.}