Vietnam War 1962 – 1972
Whilst World War Two was a confirmation that Australia’s security could be determined by it’s relations with Asia, the Vietnam War established Australia’s need for an independent foreign policy – one that was defined it in terms other than as the loyal ally of the United States.
Australia's military involvement in the Vietnam War was the longest in duration of any war in Australia's history, and was in accordance with the policies of the United States, to stop the spread of Communism in Europe and Asia. That involvement lasted over eleven years, between August 1962 and June 1973. However, it was the failure of the US to gain victory which “dented the confidence Australians once had in the Western invincibility” (Rizvi F 1996 p177) and determined that Australia’s long term interests were not always in keeping with its closest allies.
It was not only Australia’s attitude to the US which changed as a result of the Vietnam war - the ‘Asians’ which had been constructed as ‘inferior’ had “shown themselves to be surprisingly enterprising” (Rizvi F1996 p177) This brought about a change not only economically, but also in Australia’s attitude towards Asians and particularly China. Consequently, the Foreign policy which followed attempted to develop trading links and growth within the region as well as develop deeper relations with Asian countries.
Australia as an Asian country
Despite the dramatic changes which occurred as a result of the Second World War and the Vietnam War in Australia’s relationship with Asia, today the relationship is even more complex, ambiguous and contradictory (1996 Rizvi F p177) Constantly throughout the media and politics, arguments exist relating to whether Australia is part of Asia, and it has been a significant element in shaping Australia’s relations with Asia. As Gerald Henderson argued “Australia’s lack of a clear identity, or our apparent inability to project a clearly focused image of ourselves as a nation, is a hindrance to our wish to be “accepted” in Asia” (Henderson (2002))
Whilst Australian politicians such as Peter Beattie have argued that it is “only realistic to recognise that Australia is geographically part of Asia”, Broinowski and Rawdon Dalrymply have argued that this is an oversimplified statement which invites criticism from Asian nations. By attempting to affiliate Australia with the Asian countries, Dalrymply suggests that Australia is humiliating itself by “giving a free kick to One Nation” (Dalrymply 1898 p.13) and Australian’s such as Pauline Hanson, whom encourage racial and cultural intolerance.
Dalrymply and David Li also suggest that Australia’s oversimplification of the term “Asian countries” can be offensive to countries which are defined as Asian because there is no single “Asian” culture (David Li 1997), and “countries as diverse as India, Japan, The Philippines, and Malaysia have little more in common with one another than they do with Australia ” (Li D 1997).
Li maintains that Australia is never likely to be culturally Asian despite the continuous increase in Asian immigration. He asserts that Australia will remain a Western country to the rest of the region, and to the rest of the western world because English is the first language and Australia has continues to rely on an English style legal system. Li argues that in order to develop a better relationship with Asia
Australia will need to more accurately define its presence in this region, especially in terms of what it offers and what role it wish’s to play – these matters are still unresolved.
Australia and Asia today
Australia’s wish to be accepted as Asian country was clearly evident in its recent bid for a seat at the ASEAN’s annual leader summit, which has “become central to Australia’s closer engagement with the region” (Cotton J 1997 p3). The rejection of the Howard Governement’s request has displayed that Australia still has a long way to go if it is to achieve a successful relationship with its closest northern neighbours and as Baker argues it “also points to a deeper and more disturbing malaise in Australia’s relationship with South East Asia”.
Baker along with Alan Dupont suggest that the reason for Australia’s rejection and negative relationship with Asia is Australia’s handling of the Bali bombings and its growing alliance with the US. Baker argues that Australian politicians are “exacerbating the devastating economic impact of the bombings” (Baker) which is subsequently straining their relationship with Asian leaders, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. This is supported by Indonesia’s president Megawati Soekarnoputri comment that Australia should show restraint in its anti-terrorist campaign (sited by Riley 2002), and the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad statement that Australia is no longer a safe place to live (sited by Riley 2002).
Dupont believes that it is America’s war against terrorism that has exacerbated the Australia’s relations with Asia. Dupont suggests that the US’s foreign policy which casts South East Asia as a problem area, could jeopardise Australia’s relations with Asia, because of Australia’s growing allegiance with the US (Dupont A 2002 p47).
Australia – United States relations
Australia’s support for the US’s foreign policies has also been evident in the war against Iraq, in which Australia was one of three countries participating. . As Parkinson suggests unlike the politicians of the eighties and nineties whom pushed for deeper engagement with Asia, Australia’s current Prime Minister, John Howard has maintained that Australia should not “over invest” in any one set of relationships. Parkinson along with Tom Skotnicki and Richard Woolcott, argue that this could raise a potential threat to Australia’s diplomatic standing in Asia and to future trade links.
Despite the fact that Asia is Australia’s “highest foreign policy”, Australia’s support for the US undermines this fact. Skotnicki suggests that Howard has “skewed the country’s foreign policy into a reflexive mirror of the George Bush world view” which has subsequently “downgraded the importance of relations in South East Asia” (Skotnicki 2003 p50). This is supported by Indonesian and Malaysian Prime Ministers as well as Abdul Razak Baginda, director of the Malaysian Strategic research centre, who claims that “Australia’s future may well be in Asia but its present is clearly tied up with the United States”
Evidently, the Bali bombings and subsequent “war against terrorism” and Australia’s support for the war against Iraq have had a marked effect on Australia’s relationship with Asia. Woolcott suggests that in order to improve relations the Australian “Government needs to strike a more appropriate balance between its alliance with the US and its foreign policies” (Woolcott as sited by Riley 2002)
Australia must ensure that we make an independent assessment of where our national interests lie and should not appear to reflexively support US policy stances on all matters of regional importance. If Australia is pursuing a serious engagement policy with Asia, it si likely to have some policy views that differ from those prevailing in Washington”
Simon Crean (www.aai.unsw.edu.au)
Conclusion
Australia’s relationship with Asia is constantly evolving and changing. Clearly, there is still an abundance of work to be achieved and maintained in order to keep improving relations with Asia. It can never stop. With so many different cultures held under the one term “Asia” it is, something that needs constant attention. Australia’s relationship with Asia has come along way since the Second World War, however the path to success is forever changing. Therefore it is important that Australia acts responsively to world events that impact on their relationship with Asia.
Asia has a lot to offer Australia and Australia has a lot to offer Australia has a lot to offer Australia. As Greg Sheriden suggested, we should use our cultural links with the west as a positive and sell these links to our Asian counterparts.
In the global economy, Australia may find that it’s combination of geographic location, cultural links and exceptional people represents the ultimate natural resource. One that is uniquely useful to businesses in both Asia and the West.
David Li
Bibliography
Baker Mark (2002) “ASEAN’s cold shoulder a stark signal of frosty conditions” The Australian 9th November
Beeson Mark (2000) “Australia: out of Asia?” Far Eastern Economic Review June 8
Broinowski A (1992) The Yellow Lady: Australian Impressions of Asia, Melbourne: Oxford
Cochrane Peter (1999), “ The Many anxieties of Australia and Asia”, Eureka Street pp37 – 39
Cotton J and Ravenhill J (1997) ‘Australia’s Engagement: Asia’ Seekign Asian Engagement: Australia in World Affairs, Melbourne: Oxford University Press
Rawdon Dalrymple (1998) “Proximity alone can’t bridge the gap” The Weekend Australian p13 22nd October
Dupont Alan (2002) “Advance Australia: Asia Awaits” Sydney Morning Herald
P47 10th January
Downer Alexander (1999) ‘Australia and Asia: A new Paradigm for the Relationship’ Foreign Affairs and Trade Record, July pp 22 – 25
Edwards, Peter with Pemberton, Gregory (1992), Crises and commitments: the politics and diplomacy of Australia's involvement in Southeast Asian conflicts 1948-1965. North Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Frost Stephen (1997) “Negotiating Asia” UTS Review
Ingleson J (1999) “Australia in Asia” Asian Studies Review
Keating Paul (2000) “Into the New Millenium” Engagement, Sydney: Macmillan
Keating Paul (2000) “Our Place in the World” The Keating Files p27 18th March
Li David (1997) “A tale of two cultures” The Weekend Australian” 19th July
Parkinson Tony (2001) “Living in a new, dangerous world” The Age p10
17th October
Rizvi, F (1996) ‘Racism, reorientation and the cultural politics of Asia- Australia Relations’ in The teeth are smiling: the persistence of racism in multicultural Australia, St Leonards: Allen & Unwin
Riley Mark (2002) “Asia’s odd man out” Sydney Morning Herald p27 9th November
Sheriden Greg (2001) “The Australian Century – Facing the World” The Australian p6 31st March
Skotnicki Tom(2003) “The Trade Implications” Sydney Morning Herald p50 6th February
Woolcott Richard (1999) “Asia Fatigue and dangerous isolation” Austraian Financial review 6 May
WEBSITES
Australian War Memorial -
Australian Perceptions and Indonesian Reality
The Asia- Australia Institute
ABC Online www.abc.com.au
The rise and fall of the white Australia policy
Stuff
attack on terrorism and have all had a dramatic impact on the way “Asian” countries view Australia.
To adequately define the relationship between Looking over the past year to see how dramatically relations can change within the region.
Without a doubt the future of Australia will be closely linked to the future of our northern neighbours.
Alexander Downer
“What happens in our own neighbourhood will affect us more deeply and more quickly than events that occur in most other parts of the world”
Australia has a relationship in many sectors – politic, economic, social, culture, military and security
Downer “ Australia have substantial and abiding interests at stake in the region”
Culture affinities can be out to real economic advantage.
And the Changing pattern of immigration to Asutralia and how that affected our idea about what it meant to be Australian
The White Australia policy, termed "racial integrity". Although there were other racist policies in the earlier years, by the 1950s, this usually meant only restrictions on immigration. It was the most important and lasting policy adopted in 1901, described as providing "an impetus to our national life".
Introduced and chaired by Michael Cathgart, Lecturer, Australian Studies.
Alexander Downer Australia and Asia: A new paradigm for the relationship p22
White Australia policy had been sounded by the end of the war and tremendous changes to the world order that it presaged. Momentous examples of interaction between Australia and Asia – like the Colombo Plan and the signing of the 1957 Australia -Japan Trade agreement. Signified that global insularity was coming to an end.
The entry of Japan into the war in the late 1941 forced a significant rethink on the Australian policy. Australia relaised they would have to look to America rather than Britain in order to gain protection from their northern neighbours.
When Darwin was bombed and Sydney Harbour was invaded by Japanese submarines, the idea that Australia would be protected from its potential enemies by Britain was lost forever. These events brought home to Australians that events in Asia rather than those in far away countries, would have the greatest impact on their country.
After war – reliance US ANZUS treaty 1951
Alexander Downer p22 “Aust and Asia: a new paradigm”
“Australia had only narrowly avoided being invaded in the Second World War, which had riveted national attention on the security of our region”
“Australia is not invited to all the barbeques”
Mark Riley SMH 09/11/02
Rawdon Dalrymply 22/10/98 p.13 TWA
Australia is part of Asia – gave a free kick to one nation’
Australia’s wish to be accepted as an Asian country was recently displayed in
Broinowski 1992 p205
Australia is not Asia, but Asia and the pacific are part of Australia’s hemisphere and culture, an interesting and growing part
Is an oversimplified statement > we are not culturally a part of Asia
TWA 19/07/97 David Li
Rawdon Dalrymply 22/10/98 p.13 TWA
“Asia is itself ill defined and enormously varied, with Australians no more different from other people in Asia than people from various Asian countries are from each other”
Gerald Henderson SMH 5/11/02
Initially – defect from the West, redefine itself as an Asian country and cultivate close ties with its neighbours.
We have come along way since the 1980’s, however there is still a very long way to go.
There is no one path to success, Australia has to continue to reassess it’s relations with Asia in order to maintain fruitful relationships.
We are not yetr an integral member of the Asia pacific region.
POSITIVES TWA 19/07/97 David Li
- We are geographically close
- We have wealth of natural resources
- Occupy roughly the same time zones –advantageous for business travellers
.
Racist Australia
TWA 19/07/97 David Li
Mark Riley 9/11/02
From Howard’s attack as opposition leader in 1988 on the Hawke government’s “grovelling and apologising” to Asia, through Paul Keating’s ‘recalcitrant’ swipe at Malaysia’s Mahathir Mohamad and Pauline Hanson’s 1996 warning that Australia was “in danger of being swamped by Asians” to Australia’s leadership of the East Timorese military effort and its handling of the Tampa crisis, those who hols suspicions of Australia’s intentions in the region have been given much to support their case.
Changing Relationship
Australia’s relationship with Asia has changed largely as the result of major events on the world scene.
Asian Economic Crisis
Mark Riley 09/11/02 SMH
China – the finalisation of the $25 billion natural gas deal in August, the largest ever Australian export deal, was a stunning example of how lucrative it can be to do business with the world’s largest and most important emerging economy.
Tony Parkinson 17/10/01 the Age
While China is emerging as an economic powerhouse, Japan and much of South – East Asia are experiencing the downside of the postwar “economic miracle”. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 and Japan’s continuing economic torpor illustrate the volatility of markets in which Australia earns more than half its income.
APEC
9/ 11 SMH ASEAN’s Cold Shoulder a stark signal of frosty conditions
Cotton J 1997 Seeking Asian Engagement
“ASEAN
in no small part to spite efforts of Keating, who expended so much political capital on drawing Australia closer to the region.
Simon Crean www.aai.unsw.edu.au
Australia’s support for the alliance compromise attempts to affirm its own identity as an independent voice.
Tony Parkinson 17/10/01 the Age
John Howard maintains his long standing belief that Australia should not over invest in any one set of relationships, but should build and maintain links with all the major centres of global power and influence.
Simon Crean “anti American”
Mark Riley SMH 9/11/02
Australia does not really want to become fully engaged but would rather recline in an abstract notion of itself as the regional deputy for US interests.
“Australai needs to broaden and deepen links at all lvels in the Asia pacific, and to secure participation in significant regional forums”
(Parkinson T 2001 p10)
Better relationship
Richard Woolcott, Mark Riley SMH 9/11/02
“If Australia wants to engage with Asia at a deeper and more sustainable level, then it needs to do three things quickly”
- Govn handle more effectively the terrorist threats in the region and its responsibility to deal with those threats without leaving itself open to claims that it is hostile towards Islam.
It is dangerous for the media, or anyone else to make the casual assumption that all of Asia is the same, Australia does not have “a” relationship with Asia. It has myriad separate relationships built on a matrix of bilateral agreements with a host of individual Asian nations.