As U.S. President Barak Obama began his address to the Australian Parliament yesterday, some of the locals had worked themselves into a lather. The pro-China lobby was complaining that a decision to allow U.S. troops to be permanently based in Darwin might upset Beijing.
The preoccupation with China is everywhere these days, and it’s understandable to a point down south, given the extent to which the Chinese government has sustained the Australian economy through the global financial crisis by paying top dollar for items like iron ore.
Additionally, Australia’s left wing has always had something of a sycophantic affair with China. However, the latest ramblings that Canberra was going too far in support of its relationship with Washington were, well, a bit much.
China isn’t on Australia’s northern door step, Southeast Asia is. The United States has just two allies there, and the type of bases proposed are politically impractical in the Philippines and logistically too difficult in Thailand.
What matters more are the potential threats.
Given Burma’s history, the recent brawling between Cambodia and Thailand, Thailand’s internal conflicts and the region’s unfortunate place as the second front in the War on Terror with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines occupying pride of place, Southeast Asia should be of great concern.
Perhaps the biggest potential tussle with China lies in the Spratly Islands, and again this is an issue for Southeast Asia. The U.S. decision to base its troops in Australia and within reach of hotspots to the north might annoy Beijing, but those who think outside China’s parameters are a little bewildered.
In Australia, Obama said the United States would expand its military role in the Asia-Pacific region, despite planned cutbacks on defense spending.
“As we end today's wars, I have directed my national security team to make our presence and mission in the Asia Pacific a top priority. As a result, reductions in U.S. defense spending will not, I repeat, will not, come at the expense of the Asia-Pacific.
“Indeed, we are already modernizing America's defense posture across the Asia Pacific. It will be more broadly distributed, maintaining our strong presence in Japan and the Korean peninsula, while enhancing our presence in Southeast Asia.”
He said this while rejecting China’s one-party political system, saying that “history is on the side of the free” and that prosperity without freedom was just another form of poverty.
China has voiced its disappointment over the build-up, and its state-controlled press has warned Australia against playing China for a fool. Beijing also wants U.S. military alliances with countries around the region eliminated. This includes Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia.
That’s not likely to happen.
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TC
On ‘war on terror with Indonesia …’
Indonesia has made a lot of progress on this over the last decade and is way better than many countries in dealing with these sort of problems.
mareo2
“…China has voiced its disappointment over the build-up, and its state-controlled press has warned Australia against playing China for a fool. Beijing also wants U.S. military alliances with countries around the region eliminated. This includes Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia.
That’s not likely to happen….”
Agree, the CCP is delusional if think that South Korea and Japan can end the alliance with the US when their ally the Kim dynasty bolster their support from the DPRK’s armed forces by developing WMDs, firing missiles, kidnaping, sending spies, killers, bombing, firing torpedoes, shelling, etc…
Plus the CCP is increasing the harassment to other countries sending fishermen, coast guards, jet fighters, submarines, surface combatants, making maneuvers, deploying more missiles and soldiers or making military maneuvers in the border of many neighbors. Apparent for make people nervous and wonder if the CCP is planning one of this days unleash the PLA and attack one country after another for make unfair and humiliating demands like the Chinese Empire did thousands of years ago. Is perturbing see how the ultra-nationalists intellectually masturbate in public with the idea of raping others sovereignty.
luke
According to Obama, “prosperity without freedom is just another form of poverty”.
Wow that’s dumb. The entire point, the whole end of freedom is the ability to pursue prosperity. I mean, if you cherish freedom over prosperity that much, we could always revert to the neolithic age, live as hunter-gatherers, run free in the Serangeti plains (or whatever the archetypal Lion King locale is). You’ll be free of all the shackles of a 9-5 life then. Don’t come crying when you …require modern medical care, for instance.
Every unemployed welfare recipient living in the USA now has almost absolute freedom without prosperity. They can do whatever they want, wake up at 3pm on Mondays, every week. Go ask them if they’re happy.
Prosperity without freedom is a deliberate rational tradeoff. Also, prosperity is never kink-free, and the lack of freedom is neither absolute.
On the other hand, freedom without prosperity is just dumb poverty.
Ma
You need to get out of your cave more often. US comes with 2,500 marines and believes that they accomplish their goals????
China already has a free trade agreement with the 10 ASEAN countries. The China-ASEAN Expo has been ongoing for 8 years: http://www.caexpo.org.
China, Japan, and South Korea are already doing currency swap to avoid American and EU financial crisis.
Who is delusional?
T E Low
He said this while rejecting China’s one-party political system, saying that “history is on the side of the free” and that prosperity without freedom was just another form of poverty.
Prosperity without freedom is a better form of poverty than freedom without prosperity (or even the ability to put food on the table). What would you choose? Food? Or absolute freedom?
HHop
You guys argue the merits of prosperity without freedom, as if all the Chinese are rich and not having freedom, while all of the American are free and hungry. I would assume that over a billion Chinese live below poverty level defined by American standard, with limited freedom today. By the time they reach a more comfortable level of living, do you think they will let the CCP control them? You are delusional to think that Capitalism with Chinese characteristic is appealing and dream of convincing others to adapt it. Just look at the rate of rich Chinese fleeing China.
gazza
HHop, exactly, China is still growing, a long way off from being prosperious. China will be the undisputed power in Asia, but not for about 20 years. By then hopefully we all agree to peaceful relations.
If not, bring it on, i will be 70 and reaxdy to rock and roll.