EXCLUDED from the CLUB: Why Australia Is Not Yet a Part of East Asia

OCEANIA EXCLUDED FROM THE CLUB: Why Australia is not yet a Part of East Asia KIM BENG PHAR, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT AND BOSTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE STRAITS TIMES, SINGAPORE GARETH EVANS, THE AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN MINISTER gestion in 1989. More importantly, Australia remains during Paul Keating’s administration, once lamented an important member of the Five Power Defense that Australia was “the odd man out.” He was refer- Arrangement (FPDA) that also consists of Malay- ring to East Asia’s exclusion of Australia from the sia, Singapore, Britain and New Zealand. The Cam- regional-make up. Determined to convince his East bodian conflict that festered from 1979 until 1992 Asian counterparts that Australia deserves to be “in,” was also resolved with the help of Australian diplo- Evans even showed a map revealing the geographi- macy. And, when East Timor was literally wallow- cal proximity of Australia to the region. Although ing in a state of complete anarchy in 1998, it was the Evan’s sales pitch was somewhat high-brow and Australian-led contingent that stabilized the situa- forced, it underscored the point that Australia was tion first. serious about being a part of East Asia. Given that On a more prosaic level, many Asian students neither the East Asian Economic Caucus (EAEC) continue to study science, medicine, law and com- nor the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)—two entities merce in Australia’s tertiary institutions. Many af- that have the promise of knitting the East Asian re- fluent Asians have Australian permanent residency gion closer together—have ever spoken openly of and even citizenship. Having jettisoned the “whites- the prospect of including Aus- only” immigration policy prac- tralia, Evan’s concern was jus- ticed in the 1960s, Australian TOKYO HAS NEVER BEEN SO BOLD AS tified. Australia was losing out. society has also come a long TO CLAIM THAT IT WAS SERVING AS THE way to being a part of the East A GOOD NEIGHBOR “DEPUTY SHERIFF” OF THE REGION. YET, Asian region. From an objective standpoint, THIS IS EXACTLY THE FAUX PAS MADE BY FOREIGN POLICY however, there is no reason PRIME MINISTER JOHN HOWARD IN why Australia ought to remain OPPORTUNISM SEPTEMBER 1999. excluded from the regional Given a long list of notable re- community. In fact, closer gional accomplishments, why scrutiny reveals that Australia then the seeming hostility is indeed more intimately linked to East Asia than against Australia being referred to as a member of what had otherwise been suggested by those opposed East Asia? More precisely, why the continued stress to Australia’s inclusion. The flight from Singapore that Australia is a part of Oceania, whatever that to Perth, for example, is no more than four hours moniker may mean? long; shorter than the flight from Singapore to To- One of the reasons for the derision which Aus- kyo. Australia is an economic powerhouse with ex- tralia often encounters from Malaysia and Indone- tensive trade links with almost every country in East sia, is Canberra’s inability to articulate a true “Asian Asia except Myanmar. At the height of the Vietnam vision.” Like an adolescent struggling with an iden- War in 1964-1967, Australia was the only nation, tity-problem, Australia does not quite know where other than Canada, to volunteer its troops to assist to place its bets. When Asia was on the ascendant, the American war efforts in Indo-China to contain Australia wanted “in”—as demonstrated by Gareth the spread of communism. Asian-Pacific Economic Evans’ statement. On the flip-side, since America is Cooperation (APEC) also came about because of currently growing at phenomenal rates, one sees former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s sug- Australia latching onto Washington DC like a school- WINTER 2001 43 OCEANIA boy holding the coattail of his head- reach consensus. These are the basic Australian Defense Minister John master. Such foreign policy flip-flops, norms subscribed to by countries in Moore in Sydney on July 17th, for ex- while understandable in view of the East Asia. ample, America’s Defense Secretary change from Paul Keating’s Labor to In this sense, Japan has achieved William Cohen said that the “alliance John Howard’s Liberal government, more than Australia towards the goal between Australia and the United States still do not speak well of Australia’s of becoming an accepted member of the is, in fact, the anchor to our policy in grand strategy in Asia. East Asian community. Despite Japan’s the Pacific region.” In response to a Nor, for that matter, does it power and wealth, for instance, Japan question on potential US intervention project Australia as a reliable member has never tried to impose its will on the in the conflict-wracked Indonesian within the “family” of Asian nations. If region since the end of World War II. Maluku province, Cohen further added anything, for a region whose Confu- In fact, even given its military alliance that Washington “will look for some cian, Islamic, Catholic and Buddhist with the United States, Tokyo has never leadership on the part of Australia in value system have each emphasized the been so bold as to claim that it was serv- terms of formulating [its] own policies importance of filial piety and alle- ing as the “deputy sheriff” of the region. in the region.” giance, Australian “opportunism” can Yet, this is exactly the faux pas made To be sure, no one is saying that easily strike its neighbors as peculiar, Canberra does not have the preroga- if not distasteful. And as is always the tive to seek a closer alliance with Wash- case in international relations, these gut FOR A REGION WHOSE CONFUCIAN, ington D.C. In fact, given Australia’s perceptions matter. In this context, Aus- ISLAMIC, CATHOLIC AND BUDDHIST reliance on secure sea-lanes in the tralia has been perceived as having an VALUE SYSTEM HAVE EACH Straits of Malacca and the Indonesian inconsistent Asian policy. waters, it is imperative that they do. But EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF for Australia to latch on the United FOLLOW THE LEADER FILIAL PIETY AND ALLEGIANCE, States without first seeking “internal” To be sure, there is no “learning curve” AUSTRALIAN “OPPORTUNISM” CAN solutions through such bodies as ARF that Australia can learn from, or abide EASILY STRIKE ITS NEIGHBORS AS or ASEAN also imply an unwillingness by to be considered an “in” member of to source for remedies within the re- PECULIAR, IF NOT DISTASTEFUL. East Asia. Indeed, East Asia, compris- gion. In this regard, Australia is once ing 13 nation-states now forming again guilty of foreign policy oppor- Northeast and Southeast Asia, is the by Prime Minister John Howard in Sep- tunism. While, the move will not be result of continued political construc- tember 1999. fatal, Australia will nevertheless lose tion. Just as India has gradually orien- In the wake of Australian troops vital support in claiming itself as a part tated itself into becoming a member of landing in East Timor, Australian of the East Asian region. ¤ East Asia—by joining, for example, the Prime Minister John Howard an- ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), of nounced a new strategic doctrine for which Australia is also a member— Australia. Dubbed the “Howard Doc- Australia can attempt do the same. Yet, trine,” the new strategy included two Australia’s membership in ARF has not core elements. First, Australia would CORRECTION: brought about a discernible change in assume a more active role in Asian se- East Asia’s perception. curity matters, including further inter- IN THE WINTER 2000 ISSUE, Indeed, to be considered a mem- ventions as needed. Second, Australia MILLENNIAL VISIONS, JOHN ber of the East Asian region, Australia would undertake this role as “deputy” TSANG’S NAME WAS SPELLED has to play by the rules set by the house, to the United States. Although Howard INCORRECTLY. be they rules originating from the ARF has since denied that there was any- or even rules originating from an ex- thing verging on a “doctrine” tagged to WE APOLOGIZE SINCERELY panded ASEAN. And in most cases, the his name, nor did he ever use the word FOR THE MISTAKE AND principles are clear: There shall be no “deputy sheriff” to describe Australia’s REGRET ANY CONFUSION apparent effort on the part of member impending role in East Asia, latest OUR MISTAKE MAY HAVE nations to intervene in the affairs of events have since confirmed the plan CAUSED. other member nations without thor- initiated by the Howard administra- ough consultation first. And in all cases, tion. every attempt must be made to try to In a joint press conference with 44 WINTER 2001.

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