Foreign affairs

On December 3 2015 as part of our 'Prime Ministers Series' ACRI launched 'Fraser and China'; a tribute to Malcolm Fraser's China policy.

Hosted by the Chinese Consulate Melbourne, ACRI Director Bob Carr and Consul General Song were joined by Mrs Tamie Fraser and Australia's first Ambassador to China Stephen FitzGerald in launching the publication.

The publication includes the transcript of ACRI's panel discussion on 'Fraser and China', hosted by Corrs Chambers Westgarth Melbourne on August 17 2015.

On November 10 2015 the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) hosted an event with Oliver Lu, Chief Editor of Phoenix TV, in conversation with ACRI Chairman and ACPPRC Chairman Xiangmo Huang and ACRI Director Bob Carr.

Phoenix Television is a global leading media company. It provides premium content and services for the mainstream Chinese community on a seamless platform across internet, mobile and TV networks. Its six satellite TV channels have an audience in excess of 250 million viewers.

This audit of the Australia-China relationship, commissioned by the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney, reveals that Australia’s bilateral economic, diplomatic, cultural and defence ties with China are, overall, solid in comparison with those of Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the US. On no criteria included in this paper did Australia score exceptionally badly — as can be seen in Appendix: Companion Table.

The joint statement from AUSMIN 2015 commits Australia and the US “to pursue enhanced naval cooperation across all domains, including additional combined training and exercises…”[1]

This language is identical with the language of joint statements from AUSMINs each year from 2011.

On September 23 2015 ACRI hosted a roundtable event on the South China Sea in collaboration with a delegation from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), a research institute under Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The event began with a presentation by Dr Dang Dinh Quy, President of the DAV, followed by a discussion on territorial claims in the South China Sea, Chinese foreign policy and the Australian position.

The roundtable was an insightful entry to the perspectives of ASEAN members and in particular Vietnamese thinking about China’s role in the region.

On October 5 2011 in a speech to the London School of Economics, Malcolm Turnbull said: “It makes no sense for America, or its allies, to base long-term strategic policy on the contentious proposition that we are on an inevitable collision course with a militarily aggressive China … it is important to note that China’s growth in power, both economic and military, has not been matched by any expansionist tendencies beyond reuniting Taiwan … China has more to lose than most from any conflict that disrupts global economic flows”.[

Malcom Fraser was Prime Minister from November 1975 to March 1983. In June 1976 his first extended overseas visit as Prime Minister was to Japan and China rather than to Britain or the United States.

Fraser had a history of hostility towards China as a Liberal backbencher and then as Minister for the Army and Minister for Defence. As Prime Minister, Fraser pursued the relationship between Australia and China as a priority, marking the beginning of bipartisanship in Australia’s China policy.

The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) presented a tribute to former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and his work with Australia–China relations on August 17 2015 in Melbourne. The event was hosted by Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

By Bob Carr

Note: This article appeared in The Australian on July 26 2015.

Barnaby Joyce’s success in getting live cattle into China is reminiscent of the China policy of our closest mate: New Zealand.

In 2010 Professor Hugh White challenged Australians when he wrote ‘Power Shift: Australia’s future between Washington and Beijing’, published in the academic journal Quarterly Essay.

White argued that in order to meet its interests in Asia Australia should persuade the US to relinquish primacy in the region. He asserted that the best outcome for stability in the Asia-Pacific would be a power-sharing agreement between these two great nations. He posited a ‘Concert of Asia’ to balance state interests and achieve shared leadership between major powers in the region.