Australian Strategic plans for top-five priority nations

[scobydoo]

AUSTRALIA has flagged its most important partners in Asia with the announcement in the white paper that it will formulate country-specific diplomatic strategies for China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.

The move is one of several initiatives to beef up diplomacy with leading players in Asia, including plans to increase the number of regular bilateral meetings between Australian ministers and officials and their counterparts in China and India.

The white paper flagged a modest increase to Australia's diplomatic footprint in the region with a new Jakarta-based ambassador to ASEAN, a new embassy in Mongolia and new consulates in Thailand, Indonesia and China.

It does not offer any funding or timeline for the plan, saying only the missions should be opened when "circumstances allow".

Perhaps the most striking signal in the white paper was the decision to define the nation's top-five strategic and diplomatic relationships within our region.

"Australia will have stronger and more comprehensive relationships with countries across the region, especially with key regional nations -- China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea," the white paper says.

It commits the government to "work with the Australian community to develop comprehensive country-specific strategies" with these five players as the highest priorities.

"These strategies will set out objectives and priorities for relationships across the whole community with each country. They will be tabled in parliament and updated frequently.

"Because of their size, economic links with Australia and strategic and political influence in the region and globally, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea will be the initial priorities for the development of these country strategies.

"At the same time, Australia will reinforce our partnerships with other countries across the region, including members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and The Philippines."

China, Japan and South Korea make up the lion's share of Australia's exports in Asia with LNG and iron ore among the most lucrative commodities.

Economically expanding Indonesia is Australia's nearest neighbour and a vital bilateral partner in terms of combating people-smuggling and terrorism.

"Stronger Australian engagement with Southeast Asia, especially with our biggest neighbour, Indonesia, will remain important for our security and environmental policies," the paper says.

"The continuing rise of a stable, democratic and more prosperous Indonesia, which plays a leadership role in the region and has an increasing global influence, is unequivocally in our strategic and wider interests.

"We will deepen our comprehensive partnership with Indonesia and step up engagement with ASEAN more broadly.

"We will focus more attention on engaging active regional powers such as Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines on security and sustainability issues."

The inclusion of India among the five reflects its potential as a major economic and strategic player in the region.

source: theaustralian.com

 

[Zero_wing]

this good for people asia

 

[Viet]

After centuries of neglect Asia and of adopting White policy, Australia slowly realises it needs Asians.

 

[Developereo]

Australia's Gen-Y, especially in the metropolitan areas, are very friendly towards Asia, but Gen-X, the media and political elite are still very US/Euro centric. I believe Australia's policies will change drastically over the next generation.

 

[scobydoo]

Something that everyone in this forum should knows why Indonesia are on that list is because...

Australia needs Indonesia so much to be their bastion against people smuggling.
Everyday our navy catch and arrest people smuggling from Middle east and South Asia like Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. After all, Indonesia has been quite a role for Australia as a bastion of illegal immigrants from Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and other Middle East countries who want to seeking asylum in Australia.

With more and not the uncertainty in the Middle East and South Asia situation, the more illegal immigrants entering Aussie, of course detrimental to them. Australian always assume people smuggling into Australia from the middle east is the responsibility of Indonesia and this issues make the relationship of both country getting worse.
But we can do nothing about it, because if there are too many smuggler we catch means there will be trouble for Indonesia sooner or latter. People smuggler are like time bomb which can explode anytime by making problems when gathered in large numbers.

 

[scobydoo]

ELEANOR HALL: One of Australia's top strategic analysts is calling for a radical rethink of Australian policy toward Indonesia, saying our half a billion dollars worth of aid to the country is an anachronistic embarrassment.

ANU Professor Hugh White, who is a former Defence Department analyst, says Australian foreign policy towards our large and populous neighbour fails to take account of the fact that Indonesia will be a superpower within decades and could be either an important ally or a dangerous adversary.

Hugh White, who is Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University and a visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute, joined me earlier to explain his concerns.

HUGH WHITE: At the moment Eleanor, we're still thinking of Indonesia as a country that's much poorer and much weaker than we are, and that's not true now and it's certainly not going to be true in the future.

Some projections see Indonesia within a few decades as the fourth biggest economy in the world - even more conservative projections see it with an economy two or three times the size of Australia's within 20 or 30 years, which is not very far away.

So we need to stop thinking about Indonesia as a poor, weak neighbour and start trying to build a kind of relationship we're going to want to have with it, when it's a powerful, rich country, terribly important to Australia's security and terribly important to our wider engagement with Asia.

ELEANOR HALL: Would you go so far as to say that Australian governments are currently patronising to the Indonesians?

HUGH WHITE: I think that's exactly right. I think we tend to spend far too little time and effort and energy in managing the relationship with Indonesia and where we do, what we focus on are just what I would say are third order, bilateral issues which are important to us but which don't really matter to the Indonesians, issues like people smuggling.

Whereas the really big questions about the kind of role Indonesia is going to play in the region in future, the way in which Indonesia's position evolves in Asia - those are things that Australian diplomacy with Indonesia just doesn't touch.

ELEANOR HALL: Australia's Foreign Minister though says that whatever its future prospects, Indonesia currently has more than half its population living on less than $2 a day. Isn't it a good thing for building a solid relationship to give a lot of foreign aid in those circumstances?

HUGH WHITE: Well I think aid has a place in the relationship with Indonesia, and I think it's certainly true that there are a lot of very poor people in Indonesia, a lot of people in Indonesia who could benefit from Australian help.

But I think at the moment, we see aid as being far too significant in the - as a foundation for building a strong long term relationship with Indonesia. The fact is that Indonesia, in the end, doesn't need our aid. I think the mistake we make is that a) we think that our aid is terribly important to Indonesia's future and b) we think the Indonesians will be grateful for it.

In the end, people don't like being treated as poor and weak the way we treat Indonesia, and I think we're stirring up trouble for the long term relationship by placing such an emphasis on aid in the way we deal with Indonesia today.

They would prefer to be treated by Australia more respectfully.

ELEANOR HALL: Why do you think Australians do have these misperceptions about Indonesia?

HUGH WHITE: Well I think it's partly because one of the accidents of Australia's strategic geography that all our neighbours have, until now, been significantly poorer and weaker than us. And now for the first time in our history, we're going to have a neighbour which is already richer and stronger than us, and we don't know how to relate to a neighbour like that.

ELEANOR HALL: So what needs to change in the relationship right now?

HUGH WHITE: Well I think there are a few things we need to do. The first is that we need to stop framing the relationship around these third order issues like people smuggling and start framing it around the really important things like how can we best work with Indonesia to address the really big challenges in Asia in the future.

The second is I think we need to de-emphasise aid. We should walk away from the aid relationship, we should de-emphasise aid as a part of the relationship and I think move a significant portion of those resources into opportunities for Australians to learn more about Indonesia.

I think we should establish a program whereby something like 10,000 young Australians every year go to spend a year in Indonesia to learn Bahasa, to learn something about Indonesia. It would only cost $100 million, which is only about one fifth of the present aid program and it would move the focus of the relationship from us teaching Indonesia things to us learning a bit about Indonesia and learning a big from Indonesia.

ELEANOR HALL: In that context, what do you make of Tony Abbott's recent pledge to increase the number of students learning an Asian language in Australia?

HUGH WHITE: Well I think it's a very important idea that Australians should learn more Asian languages and it's very important and welcome that Tony Abbott should come forward with that proposal and a little surprising in view of the emphasis he so often places on the Anglo sphere as the foundation of Australian foreign policy.

But I think one of the problems we've had in Australia for a long time, there are not many people in Australia who speak the languages and we therefore have a very serious shortage of teachers. And I think the model, the best way to learn Indonesian for a young Australian is to sit in a classroom in a suburban school in Australia rather than just get on a plane and go to Indonesia is a bit mistaken.

When young British people want to learn French, they go to France. When young Australians want to learn Bahasa, they should go to Indonesia.

ELEANOR HALL: Now you say that Indonesia could be a dangerous threat or any ally in the near future. How do you see that playing out if nothing significant changes in the Australian Government's approach?

HUGH WHITE: Well I think the heart of our strategic relationship with Indonesia is a very deep ambivalence, because it's such a powerful country and will become more powerful and relatively more powerful than Australian in future.

It becomes both a bigger risk if we find ourselves with a bad relationship, and it also becomes a bigger potential asset if we can align our interests with Indonesia's and work more closely with them.

So it means we have an imperative to build a relationship which maximises the chances that we can work together - that's going to be in our interest as Indonesia becomes stronger.

Now both of those are going to be quite hard. We're not going to build a relationship with Indonesia which minimises the risk of threat entirely on our terms, it means we're going to have to deal with Indonesia more as an equal and we need to be more willing to see Indonesia's side of issues where our opinions might differ.

ELEANOR HALL: So how dangerous could it be for Australia if we don't get this relationship right?

HUGH WHITE: Well one doesn't want to overemphasise the gloomy side of the picture, but the fact is that for Australia for a long time, our security has been dependent amongst other things on the fact that none of our neighbours had armed forces that were big enough to cause us any kind of a problem.

As Indonesia grows richer, its armed forces will grow. Indonesia has always had a big army but until now it's had relatively weak air and naval forces and we've depended for our security from Indonesia on the fact that our air and naval forces have been much bigger.

In future, Indonesia's air and naval forces will grow, so we will face the risk of a significantly more dangerous strategic relationship with Indonesia if it becomes contested and conflictual, and that I think increases the imperative for Australia to manage that relationship very carefully.

ELEANOR HALL: Hugh White thanks very much for joining us.

HUGH WHITE: It's my pleasure.

ELEANOR HALL: That's strategic analyst Hugh White, who is Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University, and a visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute.

source: abc.net.au

 

[xdrive]

After centuries of neglect Asia and of adopting White policy, Australia slowly realises it needs Asians.

The race of people has absolutely nothing to do with anything regarding this topic.

People who still hold the belief that geopolitical circumstances are operated and based on race are complete idiots.

So if you could avoid posting such ridiculous statements, that would be good.

 

[xdrive]

Australia needs Indonesia so much to be their bastion against people smuggling.

I don't think so, considering Indonesia has done such a poor job. There has been 10,000 people who have come here from their launching pad of Indonesia. Most government officials and law enforcement officials are in on it, they are bribed for people smugglers to allow them to continue.

When Australia gets a new government, illegal boats will be simply driven back to Indonesia.

Australian always assume people smuggling into Australia from the middle east is the responsibility of Indonesia

It is. Your government is allowing organized crime to freely operate an illegal trade. Bogus "refugees" fly to Indonesia and then pay up to $20,000 dollars to people smugglers to smuggle them to Australia so they can live in a rich western country to live off our welfare system.

If they fly to Indonesia, Indonesia should be the ones who should accept them. It shows they are bogus refugees because after they land in a safe country which is Indonesia they then get on a boat to come to Australia.

People smuggler are like time bomb which can explode anytime by making problems when gathered in large numbers.

They are terrorists. To make sure they gain entry to Australia, they blow their boats up with everyone on board so the Australian navy has to rescue them.

 

[scobydoo]

I don't think so, considering Indonesia has done such a poor job. There has been 10,000 people who have come here from their launching pad of Indonesia. Most government officials and law enforcement officials are in on it, they are bribed for people smugglers to allow them to continue.

When Australia gets a new government, illegal boats will be simply driven back to Indonesia.

Their destination is Australia not Indonesia. Its Australian problem not Indonesian. Why don't Australia govt do it by themselves?? Why should they asking for Indonesian help to do this dirty job??

It is. Your government is allowing organized crime to freely operate an illegal trade. Bogus "refugees" fly to Indonesia and then pay up to $20,000 dollars to people smugglers to smuggle them to Australia so they can live in a rich western country to live off our welfare system.

If they fly to Indonesia, Indonesia should be the ones who should accept them. It shows they are bogus refugees because after they land in a safe country which is Indonesia they then get on a boat to come to Australia.

Indonesia have more than 200 million population, more than 200 stomach to be fed and we don't need anymore people to be here. Moreover their destination is Australia, so it should be Australian problem.

They are terrorists. To make sure they gain entry to Australia, they blow their boats up with everyone on board so the Australian navy has to rescue them.

I agree with this. It is their middle east habit.

 

[KRAIT]

Shift towards India became more evident after the Nuclear deal offered. This was a significant step and a welcome sign for good Indo-Australia alliance in future.

 

[xdrive]

Their destination is Australia not Indonesia. Its Australian problem not Indonesian.

That's irrelevant. The UN convention (which Indonesia has signed) states that refugees should seek refuge in the next safe neighboring country and that country should accept them.

They fly to Indonesia seeking asylum in Australia, but they should be kept in Indonesia because that is the country they first landed in.

Why don't Australia govt do it by themselves?? Why should they asking for Indonesian help to do this dirty job??

Because the current Australian government is too scared about being called "Racist" or "inhuman" It's not hard for Indonesia to stop these illegal people from coming here, infact they stopped some today. It all boils down to the bribes they are getting.

 

[Viet]

The race of people has absolutely nothing to do with anything regarding this topic.

People who still hold the belief that geopolitical circumstances are operated and based on race are complete idiots.

So if you could avoid posting such ridiculous statements, that would be good.

Relax, you are partially right. I don´t blame Australia as a racist nation, at least not on the surface. Fact is Australia had a White policy until 1970´s. That has improved a lot since then.

Many Vietnamese are thankful that Australia gave shelter to many of us after the collapse of South Vietnam. One word about race: I think the East Asians including the Viets care of and distinguish from others much about it. Thus you can say the East Asians are racists, too.

 

[nufix]

Because the current Australian government is too scared about being called "Racist" or "inhuman" It's not hard for Indonesia to stop these illegal people from coming here, infact they stopped some today. It all boils down to the bribes they are getting.

Wow, easy to say bro, "it is not hard" when the so called human right activists and media in your country shut their mouths from bashing Indonesia and stereotyping Indonesia as poor border psychotic human right abuser. I wonder how it is going to be if we let those asylum seekers enter Australian water space, what those "human right enforcer" in your country has to say about that.

 

[jhungary]

Most people misudnerstood Australia is a White-supremcy country, in fact, in term of % Australia have more non-white than the Good ol USA (about 70% white in Oz vs 73 %white in the US).

Most people think of Austrlaia, they think of 2 things, Kangaroo and the White Australian Policy. The fact is, most European and American country or their settlement have white only policy duing the first half of the last century. Australia is one of those that still allow or not strictly enforced on those day. There are numerous Australian hero are non-white, several soldier fought in WW1 is of Chinese ancestry (Billy Sing, Caleb Shang) and generally most non-white perform better than country like canada and usa.

Of course, there are still hardcore racist exist in Australia today but general attutide toward Non-white is not as bad as some European (like Sweden) and North America. Well, people think we don't have much black folks so we are not diverse enough, the truth is, we are the most proximal in Asiatic so most of our non-white population is Asian or Pacific Islander.

Should have explained why i memtion the Chinese soldier in WW1. Unlike British Protectorate (Like British India and Palestine), British Army forbit non-white to join them, European Ancestory only, Australia is an exception to this rule.

I don't think so, considering Indonesia has done such a poor job. There has been 10,000 people who have come here from their launching pad of Indonesia. Most government officials and law enforcement officials are in on it, they are bribed for people smugglers to allow them to continue.

When Australia gets a new government, illegal boats will be simply driven back to Indonesia.



It is. Your government is allowing organized crime to freely operate an illegal trade. Bogus "refugees" fly to Indonesia and then pay up to $20,000 dollars to people smugglers to smuggle them to Australia so they can live in a rich western country to live off our welfare system.

If they fly to Indonesia, Indonesia should be the ones who should accept them. It shows they are bogus refugees because after they land in a safe country which is Indonesia they then get on a boat to come to Australia.


They are terrorists. To make sure they gain entry to Australia, they blow their boats up with everyone on board so the Australian navy has to rescue them.

Mate, don't get me started with Gillard and the stupid labour government, they get power beause of the Greens, and the Greens don't really like turning those boat around, not because of the whole indonesian issue, the fact are, the people smuggler know they only need to get close enough to Christmas Island and the only way to do that is get there from Indonesia, if the GOvernment have some guts and intercept those boat and turn them around when they are safe like John Howard did, we would not have the whole boat issue, yet the Labor-Green Government still hanging on the whole Off Shore Nauru thing like a gesture to solve the problem......

Even with the pacific solution are in effect now, the whole thing will not change as the Labor government are too chicken **** to do anything, we have another 2100 boat people coming in in the last 3 months, that solve nothing, change a government and we will see some work done.

 

[xdrive]

Mate, don't get me started with Gillard and the stupid labour government, they get power beause of the Greens, and the Greens don't really like turning those boat around, not because of the whole indonesian issue, the fact are, the people smuggler know they only need to get close enough to Christmas Island and the only way to do that is get there from Indonesia, if the GOvernment have some guts and intercept those boat and turn them around when they are safe like John Howard did, we would not have the whole boat issue, yet the Labor-Green Government still hanging on the whole Off Shore Nauru thing like a gesture to solve the problem......

Even with the pacific solution are in effect now, the whole thing will not change as the Labor government are too chicken **** to do anything, we have another 2100 boat people coming in in the last 3 months, that solve nothing, change a government and we will see some work done.

Me and most Australians already know this. Labor won't be in government much longer so we don't need to worry.

Wow, easy to say bro, "it is not hard" when the so called human right activists and media in your country shut their mouths from bashing Indonesia and stereotyping Indonesia as poor border psychotic human right abuser. I wonder how it is going to be if we let those asylum seekers enter Australian water space, what those "human right enforcer" in your country has to say about that.

You do let the asylum seekers freely get on boats and enter our waters, this is the problem lol.