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Anthony Albanese says Australia is back at the table engaging with historic allies and punching above its weight in the region.

With regional trade and co-operation at the heart of the APEC summit, hosted by Thailand, the prime minister is focused on the removal of $20 billion of Chinese sanctions on Australian products.

President Xi Jinping, who Mr Albanese met at the G20 meeting in Bali, is attending the summit.

The APEC forum brings together leaders from 21 member economies with interests in the Asia-Pacific region.

Members include the US, Canada and China but leaders of France, Saudi Arabia and Cambodia have been invited as guests.

Mr Albanese said it was clear Australia was regaining prominence on the world stage.

"We punch above our weight in international forums, when we are mature, when we're sensible and when we engage in diplomacy," he told reporters in Bangkok on Friday.

The prime minister credited his "extraordinary" Foreign Minister Penny Wong who had worked on Australia's diplomatic relations since Labor won the election in May.

"The entry fee for credibility in international forums is action on climate change," he said.

"Australia can punch above our weight, but in order to do so we've actually got to have credibility."

Mr Albanese is unlikely to support Taiwan's entry to one of the world's largest trading blocs, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Asked if he would like to see Taiwan join the bloc, Mr Albanese said it was "a relationship between nation states that are recognised".

"Taiwan is represented here (at APEC) because it is represented here as an economy," he said.

"We support the status quo on Taiwan and on the Taiwan Strait, we don't want to see any unilateral action which alters that status quo."

Having attended the G20 summit in Bali and ASEAN-related meetings in Cambodia, Mr Albanese said APEC was an important opportunity to promote Australian business, economic activity and investment in the region.

But economic uncertainty, rising inflation and pressure on energy prices are also featuring in the talks.

"The 21 economies who will gather here over the next two days will have important discussion and dialogue about how we overcome these challenges through increased cooperation," Mr Albanese said.

But it's also a chance to work on face-to-face relations and Mr Albanese will take part in a number of bilateral meetings with his world leader colleagues.

He joined US Vice-President Kamala Harris, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Japan's president Fumio Kishida, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to condemn a ballistic missile fired by North Korea.

This follows formal talks at the G20 with US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others.

Mr Albanese secured a 32-minute meeting with Mr Xi on the summit sidelines, the first time in six years leaders of Australia and China have met formally.

However, he is tempering expectations on the removal of Chinese trade sanctions, saying it would take time.

Former Liberal foreign minister Julie Bishop said securing a meeting with the Chinese president was "significant".

"The fact that the meeting was held at all is a breakthrough, but now of course we will see whether anything changes," she told the ABC.

"We have been in the diplomatic deep freeze with China for some six years and so the thawing of the relationship is good news, particularly for Australian exporters."

© AAP 2022

Australian economist Sean Turnell has arrived in Thailand after being released from prison in Myanmar.

Professor Turnell arrived in Bangkok late on Thursday evening after 650 days behind bars and will travel back to Australia overnight.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is in Bangkok for the APEC summit, spoke to Prof Turnell over the phone and said he was in "amazingly good spirits".

"The Australian Charge d'Affaires travelled with him to Bangkok and will travel with him to Australia as well and he will be looked after," Mr Albanese told reporters in Bangkok.

"I'm sure I speak for all Australians when I send Professor Turnell our very best wishes."

Prof Turnell and three other foreigners under an amnesty covering 6000 prisoners to mark the country's National Victory Day.

Government spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun told the Voice of Myanmar and Yangon Media Group on Thursday that Professor Turnell, Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota and ex-British diplomat Vicky Bowman, as well as an unidentified American, had been released and deported.

Myanmar's state-run MRTV later confirmed the reports.

Prof Turnell, 58, who holds an honorary position in the Department of Economics at Sydney's Macquarie University, was working in Myanmar as an adviser to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi when arrested in 2021 after the military seized power in a coup.

In September he was sentenced to three years in prison for violating the country's official secrets law and immigration law.

His friend, economist Tim Harcourt, earlier said Prof Turnell dedicated himself to helping improve the lives of people in Myanmar, but got caught up in the coup.

"His heart was in the right place. He was trying to improve the lives of ordinary people in Myanmar," he told Sky News.

"Thank goodness he's been released now.

"The priority for Sean is to get back and be with his wife. Let's hope he can get home and recover."

Independent federal MP and former ABC foreign correspondent Zoe Daniel said she had received corroborated information about the release.

"Holding breath with relief and hope for his health and well-being," she tweeted.

Ms Daniel has been a consistent advocate for Prof Turnell's release.

Mr Albanese most recently raised the case with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit on Saturday.

"I do want to thank Vietnam for your advocacy for Professor Sean Turnell, who has been detained in Myanmar," he said at the time.

Mr Kubota, a 26-year-old Tokyo-based documentary filmmaker, was arrested on July 30 after taking images and videos of a small flash protest against the military takeover last year.

He was convicted last month by the prison court of incitement for taking part in the protest and other charges, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Ms Bowman, 56, a former British ambassador to Myanmar, was arrested with her husband, a Myanmar national, in Yangon in August. She was given a one-year prison term in September for failing to register her residence.

AAP with AP and Reuters

© RAW 2022

Mal Meninga will not throw any curveballs at Samoa after he named an unchanged 19-man squad he believes can secure Australia a third-straight World Cup title.

Meninga will persist with the halves combination of Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster for Saturday's (Sunday AEDT) final at Old Trafford after they steered Australia to an 18-16 win over New Zealand.

Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans, who is the sole survivor from the 2013 final win at the same venue, has to make do with a spot in the extended squad.

The selection pits Cleary against his good mate Jarome Luai, as well as several other players he won a premiership alongside at Penrith, who will feature for the Samoans.

Prop Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, who represented Samoa in 2019, will start on the interchange bench for Australia.

Only starting prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard and winger Valentine Holmes remain from the side which won the trophy in 2017 but despite their inexperience of playing in a World Cup final, Australia will head to Manchester United's 'Theatre of Dreams' full of confidence.

The Kangaroos have won all six Tests they have played there and Meninga has the chance to join Bob Fulton in winning a second World Cup as Australia coach.

"I'm very happy with the attitude and performance of all 24 players throughout the World Cup but keeping the same team for the final is a bonus," Meninga said.

"We are all very well aware that our goal hasn't been achieved yet and fully realise we are on the cusp of something very few players have had the opportunity to do."

Meanwhile, World Cup officials have opted against using an impartial referee for the second-straight final.

Australian Ashley Klein will oversee this weekend's decider. He was the referee for all three State of Origin games and the NRL grand final this year.

The veteran official has previously taken charge of a World Cup final, drawing the ire of then-Australia coach Ricky Stuart following their 2008 defeat to New Zealand.

KANGAROOS SQUAD FOR WORLD CUP FINAL (in alphabetical order):

Josh Addo-Carr, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Patrick Carrigan, Daly Cherry-Evans, Nathan Cleary, Reuben Cotter, Angus Crichton, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Harry Grant, Valentine Holmes, Ben Hunt, Liam Martin, Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Munster, Cameron Murray, James Tedesco, Jake Trbojevic, Jack Wighton, Isaah Yeo.

© AAP 2022