The ASEAN-Australia Special Summit this week has its origins in the last day of Malcolm Turnbull's first trip abroad as Prime Minister when he asked Australian officials at the 2015 East Asian Summit in Malaysia what could be done to advance Australia's relationship with ASEAN.

ASEAN leaders usually conduct joint meetings with foreign leaders on the sidelines of their own annual summit in the region, but Turnbull asked about inviting them to Australia for the first time.