Comments on: Bush’s mistake in Southeast Asia http://hourann.com/blog/2007/07/26/bushs-mistake-in-southeast-asia Hourann’s illogical blog Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:56:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: azza-bazoo http://hourann.com/blog/2007/07/26/bushs-mistake-in-southeast-asia/comment-page-1#comment-13359 azza-bazoo Sun, 12 Aug 2007 17:24:26 +0000 http://hourann.com/blog/2007/07/26/bushs-mistake-in-southeast-asia#comment-13359 Not at all -- I was hoping someone would disagree with me on this post, and you've kindly stepped up to the plate :-) Obviously Howard's foreign policy is very different to Keating's, and I confess I don't know as much about the latter as I probably should. I tend to think of foreign policy under Howard as having two parts: one where he's buddy-buddy with G.W. (Iraq, Afghanistan, AUSFTA etc.) and another where he engages with Asia. As Jie once said to me, if you're a hardliner in keeping a close relationship with the US no one will accuse you of hurting that alliance when you go strengthen ties with China as well. I don't think Howard's done that much in the area of getting Chinese money spent here (heck, Alan Carpenter's probably done more) aside from some talk of a free trade agreement with China, which would be good to have. But he has done a mostly-good job at attending regional meetings, travelling overseas to ensure Australia gets noticed, communicating with foreign leaders, that kind of thing. He was a little bit responsible for getting Australia into the East Asia Summit, took action in East Timor and the Solomons, and negotiated with Indonesia on defence. So (unlike George Bush, say) I think he's doing well at keeping Australia connected with Asia. (But then maybe I'm just reframing the question on you.) Not at all — I was hoping someone would disagree with me on this post, and you’ve kindly stepped up to the plate :-)

Obviously Howard’s foreign policy is very different to Keating’s, and I confess I don’t know as much about the latter as I probably should. I tend to think of foreign policy under Howard as having two parts: one where he’s buddy-buddy with G.W. (Iraq, Afghanistan, AUSFTA etc.) and another where he engages with Asia. As Jie once said to me, if you’re a hardliner in keeping a close relationship with the US no one will accuse you of hurting that alliance when you go strengthen ties with China as well.

I don’t think Howard’s done that much in the area of getting Chinese money spent here (heck, Alan Carpenter’s probably done more) aside from some talk of a free trade agreement with China, which would be good to have.

But he has done a mostly-good job at attending regional meetings, travelling overseas to ensure Australia gets noticed, communicating with foreign leaders, that kind of thing. He was a little bit responsible for getting Australia into the East Asia Summit, took action in East Timor and the Solomons, and negotiated with Indonesia on defence. So (unlike George Bush, say) I think he’s doing well at keeping Australia connected with Asia. (But then maybe I’m just reframing the question on you.)

]]> By: frank http://hourann.com/blog/2007/07/26/bushs-mistake-in-southeast-asia/comment-page-1#comment-13358 frank Sun, 12 Aug 2007 11:18:41 +0000 http://hourann.com/blog/2007/07/26/bushs-mistake-in-southeast-asia#comment-13358 'John Howard's foreign policy (has)...done a reasonable job at relations with the Eastern half of Asia'. (or something like that) I tend to disagree there- I think Howard's East Asian policy has been pretty lame- aside from trying to suck as much money as possible from China, (who isn't)Howard has signifiantly moved away from the Asia-Pacific integration that Keating (despite his many, many shortcomings) was quite active in promoting. In general terms this is pretty evident in his rhetoric and privileging of the US-Australia alliance. It will be interesting to see the cossies that foreign leaders attending the ARF will be forced to wear. hu jintao in the baggy green anyone? that would fit into howard's narrow definition of australian identity no doubt. Feel free to disagree as long as it's not framed with the word 'respectfully.' such wank. ‘John Howard’s foreign policy (has)…done a reasonable job at relations with the Eastern half of Asia’. (or something like that) I tend to disagree there- I think Howard’s East Asian policy has been pretty lame- aside from trying to suck as much money as possible from China, (who isn’t)Howard has signifiantly moved away from the Asia-Pacific integration that Keating (despite his many, many shortcomings) was quite active in promoting. In general terms this is pretty evident in his rhetoric and privileging of the US-Australia alliance. It will be interesting to see the cossies that foreign leaders attending the ARF will be forced to wear. hu jintao in the baggy green anyone? that would fit into howard’s narrow definition of australian identity no doubt. Feel free to disagree as long as it’s not framed with the word ‘respectfully.’ such wank.

]]> By: The Pencil Guy » ARF 2007: who will go to Darfur? http://hourann.com/blog/2007/07/26/bushs-mistake-in-southeast-asia/comment-page-1#comment-13350 The Pencil Guy » ARF 2007: who will go to Darfur? Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:52:47 +0000 http://hourann.com/blog/2007/07/26/bushs-mistake-in-southeast-asia#comment-13350 [...] participants — particularly John Negroponte, who attended for the US in Condi Rice’s absence — were asking around to see who’d be willing to send some troops. So this is one of the [...] [...] participants — particularly John Negroponte, who attended for the US in Condi Rice’s absence — were asking around to see who’d be willing to send some troops. So this is one of the [...]

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