Indonesia is changing, Australia's being left behind

Indonesian language teaching will be extinct in Australia by 2031, warns a parliamentary inquiry into Australia's Asian capability.

Australia talks constantly about the importance of Asia, but is failing to build the skills needed to understand our closest neighbours.

At the same time, Indonesia is on track to become one of the world's largest economies and an increasingly influential power in the region.

So how did Australia get here? And what does it mean for trade, diplomacy, defence and our future relationship with Southeast Asia?

And with China testing missiles in the Pacific, is Australia missing a perfect opportunity to build relationships in the region?

Hamish Macdonald and Laura Tingle speak with Labor MP Tim Watts, who chaired the House of Representatives inquiry into building Asia capability in Australia. They discuss the collapse of language study, what Australia risks losing, and whether we're missing one of the biggest strategic opportunities on our doorstep.