Sub Menu
VCE Resource Texts
Professional Readings
Australia and Asia: Towards new rules of engagement
This paper is in three sections. First I will look at the critical themes and issues which determine Australia's relations with Southeast Asia. Secondly, I will say something about the particular mode of thinking which has dominated elite opinion in Australia on the subject in the last 40 years. And finally I will draw some thumb-nail sketches of the current state of Australia's bilateral relationships in the region.
To some, engagement is regarded as a prelude to marriage. To others it describes the moment when armies meet on the battlefield. In the context of Australia's relationship with the region, our engagement with Southeast Asia has recently swung between love and war. Assuming courtship is the preferred approach, there are four areas of Australian diplomacy which require new rules of engagement.
The remainder of this 7-page article includes the following subheadings:
- Identity and Difference
- The Boundaries of States
- Political Culture
- Commerce & Globalisation
- The Problems with Approaches to Asia
- Thumb-Nail Sketches of Bilateral relations with Australia
SEV members can access full papers in the "Members" section. If you have forgotten your password, email SEV. If you are not yet a member, sign up now.
