Australia's John Howard assesses Asia

Australia's John Howard assesses Asia

By Dewi Anggraeni

MELBOURNE (JP): On April 3 Alexander Downer spent half an
hour with former prime minister Paul Keating, discussing a
strategy suitable for Australia's engagement in Asia. A short
time later, to journalists who bombarded him with questions,
Downer explained that the present government recognized Keating's
contacts and expertise in Asia and Asian matters.

The conservative Liberal-National Coalition win in the
federal elections last month has uncovered a new cultural
landscape in Australia, or rather, a regression, slight though it
may be, towards the old Eurocentricism.

While agents of change abound in Australia, it is becoming
apparent that change, especially social and cultural, should not be
effected in a hurry. In 1972, Labor's PM Gough Whitlam came to power
and began to bring Australia into a new era. He cut the umbilical
cord with the United States, and resumed diplomatic recognition
of China. In 1975, sacking by the Governor General aside, he lost
the elections to the Coalition.

Entering the 1990s, Labor's PM Paul Keating with his remarkable
foresight, saw that economically Australia belonged in its
geographic region, not a pathetic appendage to Britain or the
United States. He drove, with gusto, Australian businesses to
join the economic regionalization. This was seen, by the ultra-
conservatives, as `Asianization'. In 1996 Keating lost the
elections to the Coalition.

While gifted with foresight, Keating, and his ministers,
failed to convey to the Australian population the urgency of
regionalization for Australia. It was obvious by the voters'
rejection last month that not enough of the population perceived
the benefit of being part of a booming Asia. The push towards
Asia was seen in less than favorable light. People responded
emotionally, rather than rationally.

In the months leading to the elections there were signs
pointing to the re-energizing of the `purist' elements in
Australia. These people are suspicious of multiculturalism,
uncomfortable with Asian migrants seemingly flooding the suburbs,
and wanted a reversal of the Asia trend in the country.

The current prime minister, John Howard, is walking on a
tightrope. He is no doubt aware that a fair number of those who
voted him in did so because of his stance against
multiculturalism and misgivings about Asianization, and his
leaning towards Europe and the United States. Yet the fact is
that economically Australia has no choice but to continue to
trade with Asian, American and European markets, which are
becoming less accessible by the minute.

For a government seemingly so unprepared for the Asia push,
the Howard government has done admirably well by securing a stop-
over visit by Malaysia's Dr. Mahathir. This was especially
significant since the relationship between former prime minister
Keating and Mahathir, until few moments before the elections, was
not the best.

On a personal level, it was very sensible. As Dr. Harold
Crouch, senior research fellow at the Australian National
University observes, the gesture has sent a message to Mahathir
that Australia regards him as significant and important. And he
was able to accept this compliment, at no cost to himself.

On a national level, it may have limited usefulness. It is
well known in Malaysia, that there is an understanding that
Mahathir may stand down to let his deputy Anwar Ibrahim to take
the rein, even before the next elections. Ibrahim himself is not
a stranger to Australia. He has in fact made several private
visits to this country.

So relationship between the two countries has always been
good. Crouch emphasizes: "The fundamentals of the relationship
has never been disturbed. Educational exchange, joint military
exercise and trade, went up during the relationship crisis
between Keating and Mahathir. In the last three and four years
graphs in trade went straight up. Australia is actively marketing
education in Malaysia." Dr. Crouch adds that those who didn't
know politics and only saw activities in trade and other areas
between Australia and Malaysia, wouldn't know there was any
crisis.

Malaysia is aware that it is expedient to buy Australian
made patrol boats because they are the same models used by the
Australian navy. This ensures that there is a guaranteed supply
of spare parts. This cannot be taken for granted with Germany and
the U.S., who are producing patrol boats for export markets.
Naturally if they stop selling the boats, they will eventually
stop selling the parts. And with joint military exercises,
compatibility of patrol boats is surely desirable.

One thing the Howard government seems to have learned is,
whatever it does, it has to have community support. In a speech
to the University of Sydney mid-February, the then Opposition
Foreign Affairs spokesman, Alexander Downer, stressed that fact.
While stating that a Howard administration would regard
engagement with Asia as its highest foreign policy priority, the
challenge is to ensure that the Australian public is encouraged
to support this process. "The rhetoric of the Australian
government will mean nothing if the government's strategy does
not have widespread community support", said Downer.

Downer's own rhetoric then was, `Engagement with Asia, but
with less pizzazz'. The challenge now is to clarify what that
means. Maintaining a low profile? Can Australia, especially this
government, with its reputation of reluctance towards Asia,
afford to continue in this mode and be taken seriously in Asia?

Taking advantage of Paul Keating's experience in dealing with
APEC and the region may be a step in the right direction for the
Howard government.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Melbourne.