RICHARD WOOLCOTT. An Updated Approach to Australia’s Engagement in the Asia and the South West Pacific.
Aug 10, 2018The Australian Government and the Opposition must now base policy on three realities, namely that;
(a) Trump is essentially a unilateralist, despite the contradictory comments he often makes;
(b) United States involvement in Asia and the South West Pacific will be less active during Trump’s Presidency; and that
(c) China’s role in the Asia and the South West Pacific will be much more active in the decades ahead, including its ‘One Belt, One Road’ project.
While some commentators (e.g. Peter Jennings and John Garnaut) will strongly criticise China, we need to acknowledge how Washington would have reacted to Chinese naval ships and aircraft encircling Hawaii or flying over the Florida Keys. Comparable activities were undertaken by the United States when it was the leading global power. Even more recently, a US naval ship cruised inside the 12 Klm limit of an island claimed by both China and Taiwan. Australia was pressed by the US Defence Department to do likewise, but the Turnbull Government soundly decided not to do so.
In January 1942, Prime Minister John Curtin said ‘without any inhibition of any kind, I make it quite clear that Australia looks to America free of any pangs as to our territorial links and kinship with the United Kingdom.’ Australia also followed Great Britain’s lead until Britain started to reduce its engagement in South East Asia.
Now, in 2018, we have a situation not greatly dissimilar to January 1942 when Curtin said that despite our traditional links with the United Kingdom, Australia would in future look to America for support if it became necessary.
In the decades ahead, Australian Governments and Oppositions must acknowledge the great changes underway in Asia and the South West Pacific. Australian politicians, and our wider public, need to understand that, despite the great differences between China, which is a one party state managed by the Communist Party, and Australia, which is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial democracy, Australia itself must, from now on, engage more closely with China.
Richard Woolcott was formerly Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and President of the UN Security Council. He was also Australian Ambassador to Indonesia for many years.
Richard Woolcott was formerly President of the UN Security Council and Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He is currently a consultant to the Asia Society.
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Having lived and worked in both China and America and given the history of both countries give me China everytime.
I consider the USA the most dangerous nation on earth and that Australia should be more closely aligning ourselves with China and get on board with the “One Belt One Road” project.
America is a spent force – in my opinion – and the sooner they face reality and start conducting themselves in a much more humane manner the better off the world will be.
What other nation has over 800 military establishments around the world?
Our fate lies in our own hands, Andrew.
Having turned to Britain and then to the US there is now no one we can turn to. A challenge!
There may be security in numbers in the region. Working with that will raise even more perplexing moral issues than dealing with China. But so be it. With Indonesia we need to be pragmatic, not embracing. No way go knowing where it is going.
As for the “rules-based order”, rules will change. What cannot be left to chance is an “international law based order” which is not the same thing. It has lasted, with lapses, for some three and a half centuries. Our fate lies in its preservation.