Australian Ambassador Bruce Miller will speak to GRIPS on the new Australian Government’s approach to foreign and trade policy, and what that means for Australia’s relationships with Japan and with the wider region.?The Indo-Pacific region — including Japan, China, South Korea, India, the ASEAN countries and Australia — accounts for a third of global GDP.? By 2020, it could account for around one-third of global trade.The rapid economic transformation that has accompanied the region’s rise is bringing about a new and uncertain strategic environment.? With this come both opportunities and risks.Japan has been front and centre of the new government’s thinking about Australia’s place in the region, and how Australia will work with friends, neighbours and regional institutions to increase regional prosperity and security.Ambassador Miller will address how Australia and Japan’s bilateral ties will be enhanced across the board to take on these challenges, covering the bilateral defence and strategic relationship, economic and trade relations and new initiatives for people-to-people links.

At the 89th GRIPS Forum on January 20, 2014, H.E. Mr. Bruce Miller, Australian ambassador to Japan, gave a lecture titled “Australia and the Indo-Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities”. In Australia, there was a change of the government by general election, and Australia’s G20 host year began in the past year. In this forum, he talked about the ?relationship between Australia and Indo-Pacific region, and the role of Australia as the G20 host.