The following three essays are working papers on different issues, like "The Rise of China", protectionism and the understanding of the US being an empire or a hegemon. These have been written during a research visit at the Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.
While the first essay on "The Rise of China" is concerned with the relation of Australia and the US, which seems to be influenced by the rising star of China, the second essay also talks about a very topical issue of protectionism in a globalized or globalizing world. The ongoing crisis of finance since the end of 2008 and the following recession is challenging free trade and liberalism today. In regard to "The Rise of China" the issue became more and more important since Chinese companies seem to buy out the Australian economy in 2009.
Finally, the last essay is focused on the question of how the United States should be understood in regard to its foreign policy. Referring to the concepts of empire and hegemony, the author introduces the two cases of ancient Athens and Sparta. As Athens is seen as the ideal empire and Sparta is supposed to be the ideal hegemon, the essay compares both Greek city-states and their policies with the US foreign policies under Bush II and the neocons.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Rise of China: China approaching the US
3. Australia between China and the US
3.1 Australia and the US: “Most faithful allies”
3.2 Australia and China: “Facing the Dragon”
4. The Rise of China and Implications for Australia
5. Conclusion
Research Objective and Core Topics
This study investigates the implications of China's economic and military rise for Australia's strategic relationship with the United States. It explores the inherent tension for Australia in maintaining a historic security alliance with the US while simultaneously fostering deep economic ties with China, effectively attempting to balance interests in the Pacific region.
- The economic and security dimensions of China's rise as a global power.
- The historical and ongoing nature of the US-Australian security alliance.
- The challenges of navigating economic interdependence with China alongside security dependence on the US.
- The potential for conflict or redistribution of influence in the Pacific and Southeast Asian regions.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
This essay will analyse the implications of the rise of China for Australia, especially in relation to the United States of America (US) as the current major international power. Australia’s special relationship with the United States on the one hand and the increasing economic relations with China on the other pose the question of how Australia will deal with two superior powers having interests in the Pacific and Southeast Asia?1
While Australia accepted the US as a guarantor of security and peace in the region after the Second World War, it installed stable economic ties with China even before the international isolation of the People’s Republic has been abandoned. Today, “[as] China has emerged as a major power, the possibility of conflict between Australia’s relations with the US and those with China has emerged as an issue at times.”2 Crucial topics dividing the two powers are the ongoing US support for Taiwan, George Bush’s North-Korea policies and the US perception of China’s global engagement being a threat.3 In this context, Stuart Harris posed in 1998 the question: “Will China divide Australia and the US?”4
In order to discuss such and other possible outcomes in the Australia-US-China relations triangle, this essay will first examine the rise of China in regard to the US. Therefore, two main analytical dimensions of economic and security policies were chosen to draw a comprehensible picture of Chinese developments and US responses. This will cover regional and global aspects for each of the examined countries in a historical approach, if applicable.
In the next chapter, Australia and its relations to both powers will be discussed concerning the same dimensions. The findings of this chapter provide the informational basis for the following argument on China’s impact on Australia and its special relation to the US. Finally, in the conclusion the results will be presented and summarised to explain, which influence the rise of China could generate on Australia and its policies.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Outlines the core dilemma of Australia managing its security alliance with the US and its economic partnership with China.
2. The Rise of China: China approaching the US: Examines China's economic growth and military development while contextualizing its power relative to the US.
3. Australia between China and the US: Analyzes the dual nature of Australia's external relations, balancing traditional US security ties with expanding Chinese economic engagement.
4. The Rise of China and Implications for Australia: Discusses the resulting strategic "balancing act" Australia must perform and the potential consequences for its regional policy.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the study’s findings, suggesting that Australia remains restrained by its dual dependence on the two powers.
Keywords
Rise of China, US-Australia Alliance, Australia-China relations, Economic interdependence, Security policy, Soft power, Balancing act, Pacific region, Southeast Asia, US hegemony, Trade relations, Geopolitics, Strategic policy, Foreign aid, Military expenditure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines how the rise of China as a global power affects Australia's foreign policy and its long-standing strategic relationship with the United States.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include economic growth, military security, the historical context of the US-Australia alliance, and the challenges of managing simultaneous relations with two competing global powers.
What is the core research question?
The research explores how Australia deals with the tension of being a close ally to the US while maintaining an increasingly vital economic relationship with China.
Which methodology is used to analyze these issues?
The author employs a qualitative analysis of historical relations, economic performance indicators, and security policy shifts, drawing on international relations theory and recent geopolitical data.
What does the main body cover?
The main sections evaluate China’s economic and security rise, detail the history and current state of the US-Australia alliance, and analyze the specific implications for Australian policy in this power triangle.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Major keywords include China’s rise, US-Australia alliance, balancing act, economic interdependence, and regional security in the Pacific.
How does the author interpret the concept of a "balancing act" for Australia?
The "balancing act" refers to Australia's need to avoid choosing between its security guarantor (the US) and its primary trading partner (China), necessitating careful policy management to avoid vulnerability.
What role does the ANZUS Treaty play in the author's argument?
The ANZUS Treaty represents the foundation of Australian security dependence on the US, creating a persistent alignment that complicates the country's strategic choices regarding China.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding Australia's foreign policy future?
The author concludes that Australia remains significantly restrained by its historical alliance, and faces increased vulnerability as it tries to navigate the shifting power dynamics between the US and China.
Does the author suggest China is an immediate military threat to the US?
The author notes that while China’s military is growing, most scholars argue that its current technological capacities do not yet pose a direct, existential threat to US hegemony.
- Citation du texte
- Sven Schneider (Auteur), 2007, Working Papers: 1. The Rise of China - 2. Is Protectionism still alive in a globalized world? - 3. US under Bush II - Empire or Hegemon?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/123674
