How much does Australia matter in Asia, in the Pacific? What is its role in addressing pressing regional issues such as security and climate change? How is the new Albanese government positioning itself and what signals has it so far sent?
Dr Stephen FitzGerald is Board Member of China Matters, Distinguished Fellow of the Whitlam Institute, Associate Professor, Australia China Institute for Arts and Culture at Western Sydney University, and Chair of the Museum of Chinese in Australia and the first Ambassador of Australia to the PRC., the People’s Republic of China, In a telephone conversation with Frances Cowell on 15 August, 2022, he shared insights gained through decades of diplomatic experience and advising corporations, governments and in regional forums.
Frances Cowell Do the actions of the new Australian government, lead by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, herald genuine re-engagement with the Asia-Pacific region, following a decade or so where Australia punched below its weight in its neighbourhood?
Stephen FitzGerald Its early days of course, but I really think this is a turning point. Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s visits in the region, going out of her way to be photographed with her brother in Kota Kinabalu, her old home town in Malaysian Borneo; and Prime Minister Albanese taking with him Ed Husic, Minister for Industry and Science, who is a Muslim, to Indonesia, all send very special messages to the region that contrast with the outgoing Liberal (conservative) governments, most recently lead by Scott Morrison, who cut foreign affairs budgets and gave priority to security and intelligence over diplomacy.
It also contrasts with the last two Labor governments, under Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard, from 2007 to 2013, which paid less heed than they might have to respected former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, who urged them to restore the centrality of relations with Southeast Asia.
Penny Wong has signalled her seriousness by appointing, as head of the foreign affairs department, a senior diplomat and previous ambassador to Tokyo and Beijing, and by personally addressing the department’s staff, underlining the importance she gives them over security and intelligence agencies. She has also been quite explicit about restoring ASEAN to centrality in our foreign policy, among other, less publicised, initiatives. This new posture is for real, it is really good news.
Frances Cowell Minister Wong wasted no time getting herself to the Solomon Islands. This was welcome, but might it be perceived there as merely a reaction to China’s security deal?
Stephen FitzGerald I have no doubt that many in the Solomons and elsewhere in the Pacific will see it that way. And, indeed, the, very late in the day, interest of the Morrison government was couched specifically in those terms. And some in the current government are framing it that way. But the proof of the pudding will be in the eating, and we need to work honestly and genuinely with them on their issues, rather than simply moving and blocking every action by China. Interestingly, China’s Ambassador Xiao Qian, in his speech last week to the National Press Club in Canberra, suggested working together on climate issues in third countries. In fact, at the beginning of this century, I did interest the Chinese external aid agency, in working together on aid projects in developing countries, including in the Pacific, and they were quite keen. But our bureaucracy saw it as too complicated, too difficult. Now there is an opportunity to show that our door is open and that we really want cooperation, not just on climate, but also on other issues related to immigration and working visas, seasonal fruit pickers, and so on. If we’re smart enough and courageous enough, we would do a lot to allay those negative perceptions.
This article was originally published in French on the website of L’Institut du Pacifique on 14 September, 2022. http://institut-du-pacifique.org/2022/09/14/apprendre-a-connaitre-ses-voisins/