The Strategic Relationship between Australia, the USA and China (PDF)

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2020 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: International relations, grade: A, Flinders University, course: International Relations, language: English, abstract: This paper will examine Australia's Strategic relations to the USA, Australia's Strategic relations to China, as well as the Strategic relations of the USA and China.

Australia's security, economic and political ties with the United States are fundamental to Australia's future. The previous government significantly intensified Australia's relationship with the United States, and it is now in the best shape it has ever been in. In this regard, the smoothness with which the US alliance has transferred to the Rudd Government, is outstanding to the strength of the alliance that John Howard had recognized with the United States of America. This is a permanent legacy that will help Australia and hopefully the government in greater strategic relationships. In the past eleven and half years, both defence and economic ties were improved, with the Australia-United States treaty of Defence Trade Co-operation and United States-Australia free trade agreement correspondingly. Therefore, the Australia-US relationship should only strengthen in the next ten years built on shared values, interest, mutual respect and similar outlooks on global affairs.

In this regard, I would argue that Australia at the moment is more dependent on China for its growing economy but initiatives such as the annual bilateral strategic dialogue between both Countries which the previous government initiated last year is an important step towards developing closer security links in the future. I am also confident that Australia escalating economic relationships with China will coincide with the greatest dialogue on security matters, which should reflect shared mutual interests and values. On the other hand, the United States have been building the security umbrella in Asia-Pacific after World War II, from Japan and South Korea in the North, to Philippine, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand in the South to protect its security and interests in Asia-Pacific from communist threats like communist China.