Welcome to the second instalment of the La Trobe International Relations Association (LIRA) podcast, featuring Dr Benjamin Habib in conversation with host Jim Skulley and panelists Declan Sullivan and Sherry-Rose Bih. In this episode, we discuss Tony Abbott’s recent trip to Northeast Asia to sign off on free trade agreements with Japan and South Korea, and to advance FTA negotiations with China. We explore the nature and purpose of free trade agreements, before looking into Australia’s FTA negotiations with Japan, South Korea and China. We also couch our discussion within the broader context of East Asian economic regionalism, Sino-Japanese and Sino-American rivalries and China’s global resource procurement strategy.

The podcast has been established as a joint venture between LIRA and academics within the politics and international relations program at the La Trobe University to provide experiential learning opportunities for our international relations students.

LIRA aims to provide all students with an interest in international relations and politics with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge and become more engaged in the university experience through both social and extra-curricular academic forums. LIRA also acts as a bridge between students and faculty, as well as promoting the study of international relations to potential students.