- APEC NEGOTIATIONS AND AUSTRALIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE USA IN COMPARISON TO ITS ASIAN NEIGHBOURS
The APEC conference in Thailand and recent comments by ASEAN leaders have again raised questions about Australia’s place in Asia. In the past weeks Prime Minister John Howard had to clarify Australia’s relationship with its Asian neighbours. First he had to hose down comments by US President George W Bush that he viewed Australia as the region’s “sheriff”, which did not play well with our South East Asian neighbours. Then Singapore’s leader said Australia would not be accepted in the region until its population was more that 50 per cent non-white, reinforcing fears that Australia would be excluded from a regional free trade block. Mr Howard described as “absurd” that Australian immigration policy would be changed to favor Asians. Questions about where Australia’s future lies came as the leaders of two of the world’s most powerful nations, the United States and China, made historic addresses to Australia’s parliament last month. Does Australia need to do more to improve its image in the Asia-Pacific region? Should relations with the US be paramount? If Australia is excluded from an Asian trading block, where does our future lie? Does it really matter if Australia is not linked to one power or trading block? The APEC negotiations were significant in the number of events that transpired, the major event regarding Australia was a long term acceptance into APEC thus securing Australia’s political as well as trading ties with the ever growing south east Asia for many years. After four days of barbs, there was no eye contract between John Howard and Malaysia's PM. Dr Mahathir is, like other Asian leaders, worried that this meeting's economic agenda is being hijacked by President Bush and his push for a greater military role in the region. For that, the Americans make no apology.
- THE USA AND CHINA VISIT AUSTRALIA
The recent simultaneous visits of US President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao created considerable hype in Australia. These were important visits for all nations concerned. But they were part of the Asia-wide round up after the Bangkok APEC summit. It was, nevertheless, projected by Canberra as some sort of Houdini-like achievement to have the leaders of the world's most powerful and most populated country visiting Australia at the same time. The first thing to note is that US is Australia's security ally. Canberra's commitment to the US is undisputed and unquestioned. However, Sino-US relations are chugging along, with international terrorism overriding all other US concerns. Beijing is quietly expanding its political and economic space with an international profile. Its charm offensive has also captivated Canberra, further reinforced by the lure of a seemingly limitless market in China for its gas and other raw materials. During Hu's visit, another large contract for the supply of gas from Australia over many years was announced. This was significant as it secured a large content of gas supply for Australia for many years to come. At a political level, Canberra sees an advantage in cultivating ties with China to neutralize its image in Asia as the US "sheriff." Its growing relationship with China tends to validate its Asian credentials. There is quiet confidence in Canberra that it can simultaneously develop and manage its relations with Washington and Beijing. China is already Australia's fourth largest and fastest growing export market, estimated at about A$18 billion (US$12.7 billion) a year. Hu told the Australian parliament that the scope for economic ties between the two countries was immense. How will Canberra manage this difficult task of reconciling its growing economic stakes with China and security alliance with the US? The hope is that Canberra might not have to make this choice, at least not for quite a while. North Korea is a flashpoint. Here again the hope is that Beijing shares US and Australian concerns on Pyongyang's nuclear threat and will play a constructive role to contain, manage and resolve the crisis. In other words, as long as Sino-US relations are manageable, Australia will be fine with its simultaneous political equation with China and the US. But there is an underlying strategic rivalry between the US and China. The US focus on terrorism and the need for Chinese cooperation might have pushed this to one side, but China remains its "strategic competitor." To this end, the US is determined not to let any other rival power threaten it militarily. This suggests there are problems ahead in the short and long term. For instance, the US is going ahead with its missile defense plan, which includes Japan and Australia as regional points. China regards this as directed against it. Australia is also increasingly being integrated into US strategic planning, including some of its major defense purchases from the US. It hosts American facilities, and there is talk of even greater access for US forces in Australian territory. Against such overriding security imperatives, Canberra might not have much choice but to side with the US in any high-stakes game for power.
- THE PRIME MINISTER IN BALI
The Prime Ministers visit to Bali was significant, as it was the one-year anniversary of the events of October 12, 2002. Mr Howard like many other Australian including survivors, relatives and others were there to commemorate the one-year anniversary. The great significance of the event was how the event seemed to be Australian dominated in terms of attendance, organizations and turnout. As if to say Australia has become the ‘sheriff’ of the southeast region of the world. It seems Australia in a way became the nation in charge of Bali and the nation to be the protector and provider to the incident as it assumed responsibility of the situation in cleaning it up. Mr Howard’s words were:
As we gather in these wonderful surroundings to mark that terrible event a year ago that inflicted such pain and suffering on people from many countries, our very first thoughts go to those who lost their loved ones on the 12th of October last year. Yours is a loss that can never be recovered, but it is a loss with the passage of time and the support and the love of your fellow countrymen and women can be made perhaps a little easier to bear.
As we look back over the last year, I think speaking as the Prime Minister of Australia, and I know that there are families of many countries here, we have learnt something about ourselves as people. We have been reminded of some of the strengths that we have always had, but we've always been reminded of that wonderful duality of the Australian character and the Australian personality. We have been reminded that we are a people who are both strong and soft. We are a people who are both tough and caring and over the last year we have seen a national outpouring of support and grief to those who lost so much, the like of which most of us have not previously experienced.
We've also learnt that we in this part of the world must make the common cause to fight the scourge of terrorism. The events of the last year brought the people of Australia and the people of Indonesia closer together. And I want on behalf of all of the Australians present to express my gratitude to the leaders and the people of Indonesia for the courtesies that they have extended not only in relation to today but for generally over the last the year. We've also learnt to control our anger and direct it towards identifying and punishing and bringing to justice those who perpetrated this terrible deed. And in all the time that has gone by we have retained a great passion and a great affection for the lovely people of Bali who have suffered so much.
And so my fellow Australians and those from many other nations who gather here today to mark the first anniversary of the attack on the 12th of October last year, can I say again to those who lost their loved ones, as I did a year ago, that there were 19 and a half million Australian hearts that had, in every one of those hearts a corner of affection and support for those who lost so much. We haven't forgotten you, we never will. Australians will never forget the 12th of October 2003, but it has taught us a number of things about ourselves, it's taught us about our strength and it's taught us about the need to cooperate with others in the ongoing fight against the terrible deeds and the terrible hatreds that caused so much pain and so much misery a year ago today.
The words of the speech tell the whole story as Australia has reflected and has been a huge part of the repairing process.