In an interview with CNBC, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism, and Investment, Dan Tehan, talked about the vaccine rollout in Australia, trade tensions with China and the importance of free and open Indo-Pacific, the opening of international borders, the Quad alliance, and free trade agreements (FTAs).
The interviewer, Will Koulouris, questioned the Minister about the pace of the vaccine rollout in Australia. Minister Tehan noted that the vaccine programme would pick up speed towards the end of the year, as the country expects more supplies of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines. He noted that the responsibility to get out of the pandemic and beat the virus lies with the Australian people, saying, “We’ve outlined a road map out of the pandemic, out of the virus, and we want to make sure that every Australian does their bit and gets vaccinated.”
Koulouris further asked Tehan about his trip to Southeast Asia and the United States (US) for discussions on trade and ongoing tensions with China.
In response, Tehan stressed the importance of adhering to global trading rules. He said, “What we want to see especially in the Indo-Pacific is all countries understanding their obligations, meeting their obligations and understanding that the Indo-Pacific is now where the economic weight of the world is.” He added that the government disapproves of economic coercion that disrupts trade, which he said is not in the interest of the people of the Indo-Pacific. “We want a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he declared.
Another interviewer, Martin Soong, asked the Minister about the Quad alliance with India, the US, and Japan, which has helped with supply chains and vaccine distribution, and whether it might materialise into an actual FTA. Referring to the FTAs Australia has with Japan and the US, the Minister expressed hope for a similar agreement with India at the earliest. He added that another round of FTA negotiations with the European Union would be in October. “Hopefully, an FTA with the United Kingdom (UK) will also be finalised by October,” he said.
The Minister also talked about the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the possibility of the UK gaining membership.
Towards the end, the interviewers and Tehan discussed Australia’s plan to restart air travel, expand travel bubbles, and open international borders. In this regard, Tehan expressed the government’s willingness to reopen borders for Australians stuck abroad, international students, and international business visitors based on medical advice. The Minister also showed keenness to expand the travel bubble with Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and other countries that have managed the pandemic.
Read the full transcript here.