Hours after being minted as Australia's treasurer, Joe Hockey has announced plans to jet to Indonesia for a meeting of the region's finance ministers.
Mr Hockey will spend Thursday and Friday in Bali for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and plans to deliver the message that Australia is open for business under a Coalition government.
The risks stemming from forecast moderating growth in China will be a focus of discussions, said Mr Hockey, who plans to meet with a representative from the sovereign state along with others from Indonesia, Korea and Singapore.
"I also look forward to discussing with them practical steps to boost infrastructure investment, which is front and centre at APEC this year," Mr Hockey said.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has long highlighted the importance of Australia's relationship with its neighbours and plans to visit Bali in October for the APEC leaders forum.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
He may make an earlier trip to Jakarta after signalling during the election campaign that he would make such a trip an early priority of his leadership.
