Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Laos for the annual summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations and the East Asia Summit which follows. ASEAN was formed by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines as the Vietnam War raged in 1967. Each of these nations were anxious to show that economic development could offer more than communist insurgents ever would.

Their quiet diplomacy helped lay the foundation for the region’s economic miracle that began in the 1970s, a period of prosperity that drew in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos as they emerged from the conflict. Myanmar and Brunei are also members. Australia became ASEAN’s first regular outside dialogue partner in 1974.