Essay On Engagement Between Australia And Asia

The article by Ann Capling exemplifies Australia’s policy and process of engagement with Asia in the past two decades. Through the use of newspaper article, government speech and scholarly works, Capling highlights the neoliberalism of two political parties and their approaches to improve Australia’s economic, social, security and political levels.

The Australians negative perception of East Asia became manifested when 30 thousand of Australians were imprisoned and tortured horrendously (pg. 604). The Australian government abridged the fear of the country by strengthening their defence system and gaining strong allies such as Britain and the United States, when news of “wartime invasion” of Japan reached Australia (pg.604). Australia’s perception

of East Asia came to a halt in the late 1960s and this gave Australia the opportunity to engage with Asia and establish their rise of global trade system, cultural exchange, business activities and education. The engagement between Australia and Japan led Hawke to inaugurate APEC, which in return enmeshed Australia and Asia to engage with each other consistently. This however caused issues relating to trade concern in America and Europe as Australia’s export and import system were progressing with Asia. Moreover, Capling highlights that through the new plan of the labour government in 1980-1990 to “relocate” Australia with Asia, led to debates concerning the geographic proximity of Asia in the 20th century transformed Australia’s perception and policy (pg. 605). Capling’s main idea was Australia’s focus policies and engagement with Asia to form a new identity and strengthen their relationship. Dalrymple and Trood stated that Howard government in 1996-2007 caused Asia and Australia’s engagement to tremble significantly; for example, such issues related to Taiwan and Howard’s statement of seeing China a threat to Australia’s cultural, diplomatic and political standing in East Asia (611). Capling also stated that Howard’s approach was to relocate Australia’s identity by discarding labours institution and APEC forum and developing a new policy of bilateral relationship between Japan, China and America. Wesley points out “Howard’s paradox” led to the intrinsic of conceptions of the government’s policy that Australia’s engagement with Asia was becoming loose (pg.614). Capling concludes that Asia’s engagement is steered by environmental change; for example, tsunami in Indian Ocean gave a regional engagement opportunity for Australia. Capling also deduces that Australia cannot completely remove their “old world” in their progress of creating a new identity as their “common identity and sense of community” with Asia would be obstructed (pg.618).
Analytical summary:
Capling’s article emphasises an interesting engagement between Australia and Asia in both historic and geographic proximity, where Australia perceived Asia as a threat during WW2 and how their perceptions gradually altered.

Capling provides examples using both historic and contemporary peer review literatures which endowed Australia’s fear during Cold War and Vietnam War. I found it interesting how Capling used variety of sources to compare and contrast Australia’s progression with Asia and how the primitive fear of Australia to Asia enabled them to be one of the amiable, closest economic partners. It was remarkable how neoliberalism was a theme playing in Australia and Asia’s engagement, where two different Australian politics had different approaches on developing Australia’s engagement with Asia, UK and USA. This was also interesting how both politics changed Australia’s and Asia’s engagement, for example as Capling stated that the Howards government’s bilateral relationship policy loosened Australia and Asia’s engagement whereas the Hawks government competed to maintain the engagement with Asia. However, Capling did not explicitly explain what and how policies were being created. Furthermore, the text also focuses on Australian attitudes towards Asia during the Cold War were Australia felt profoundly threatened by Japan’s invasion and the movement of communist approach in Australia. Additionally, it was also intriguing that in 1950’s-60’s Australia strengthened their alliances with UK and USA to maintain a great power: to aid Britain during Indonesian war with Malaysia and supporting USA during war in Vietnam. This remarkably transformed Australia’s perception on Asia and enabled them to get engaged politically, economically and militarily. The text consistently discusses the incorporation of Australia’s engagement with Asia and issues that conjoined them on neoliberalism. Capling however, did not explain explicitly what issues arose between Australia and

Asia. Furthermore, Asia has been important to Australia’s future growth in politics, security and economic – however, it can be viewed as a great ultimatum to Australia’s economic and security. This point was explicit in Capling’s reading as she stated the ongoing and loosening engagement between both countries due to the Australians government’s opposing opinions. I found it interesting when Capling stated that Australian economic globalisation would enmesh into Asia, however they would not enmesh completely from old world to new identity due to cultural differences. This statement is intriguing as it shows where Australia is leading to in the future.