Abstract
Australia’s alliance with the USA predates President Barack Obama’s strategy of rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific by 60 years. Over this period, the alliance has evolved into a broad-based and deep political, diplomatic, economic, cultural, and defense relationship. When the Obama administration released new strategic guidance in early 2012 promoting rebalancing for the first time, it was business as usual for Australia. Australia supported the rebalancing strategy because it is in Australia’s national interest to keep the USA engaged in the Asia-Pacific. This chapter discusses how the rebalancing strategy has led to an expansion in the depth and scope of the alliance under two successive Australian governments and three prime ministers from 2012 to the present.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
1. Peter Jennings, “The U.S. Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific: An Australian Perspective,” Asia Policy, no. 15, (Canberra: Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 2013): 38.
- 2.
2. Australia was designated a “major non-NATO ally” in 1989 and received upgrades to research and developments under Title 10 (Armed Forces) of the United States Code. Concerning point 4 the United Kingdom and Australia are the only two countries to have entered into a Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty with the United States; Peter Edwards, Permanent Friends? Historical Reflections on the Australian-American Alliance, Lowy Institute Paper 8. (Sydney: Lowy Institute for International Policy, 2005), 3–54.
- 3.
3. “Prime Minister Gillard and President Obama Announce Force Posture Initiatives,” Office of the Press Secretary, White House, November 16, 2011.
- 4.
4. Opinion in Australia was divided about the message President Obama delivered; some viewed it as a direct challenge to China, while others welcomed the speech as a U.S. commitment to Australia’s security. See: Jennings, “The U.S. Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific: An Australian Perspective,” 39–40; “Remarks by President Obama to the Australian Parliament, Canberra, Australia, 17 November 17, 2011,” White House, Office of the Press Secretary.
- 5.
5. US Department of Defense, “Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense,” January, 2012.
- 6.
6. “Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations 2012,” Joint Communiqué, November 14, 2012, http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2012/bc_mr_121114.html
- 7.
7. Ibid.
- 8.
8. Ibid.
- 9.
9. Exercise Talisman Saber 2013 is a biennial combined Australian and United States activity, designed to train the two military forces in planning and conducting Combined Task Force operations to improve the combat readiness and interoperability.
- 10.
10. “Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations 2013,” Joint Communiqué, November 20, 2013, http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2013/jb_mr_131120.aspx?ministerid=4
- 11.
11. Ibid.
- 12.
12. Defense officials from Australia, Japan and the United States held their first trilateral Security and Defense Cooperation Forum in 2007.
- 13.
13. “Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations 2013.”
- 14.
14. Julie Bishop “US-Australia: The Alliance in an Emerging Asia,” Speech to the Alliance 21 Conference, Washington, DC, January 22, 2014, http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/Pages/2014/jb_sp_140122.aspx?ministerid=4
- 15.
15. Ibid.
- 16.
16. Quoted in Phillip Coorey, “Stronger Ties Will Boost US Presence,” Australian Financial Review, June 14, 2014.
- 17.
17. “Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations 2014,” Joint Communiqué, August 12, 2014, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/230524.htm
- 18.
18. Ibid.
- 19.
19. Ibid.
- 20.
20. Ibid.
- 21.
21. China’s participation was formally announced during the visit of Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, to Australia from July 16–19, 2014.
- 22.
22. Minister for Defense and Minister for Defense Science and Personnel, Joint Media Release, “Australia and Indonesia Conduct Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Tabletop Exercise in Darwin,” June 7, 2014, http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/2013/06/07/minister-for-defence-and-minister-for-defence-science-and-personnel-joint-media-release-australia-and-indonesia-conduct-humanitarian-assistance-and-disaster-relief-tabletop-exercise-in-darwin/
- 23.
23. Brendan Nicholson, “Marines lodging bill to hit $1.6 bn,” The Australian, April 22, 2013.
- 24.
24. Brendan Nicholson, “US welcomes defense spending rise,” The Australian, September 12, 2013.
- 25.
25. Christopher Joyce, “Free ride onus defense must stop,” The Australian Financial Review, August 19, 2013.
- 26.
26. Jennings, “The U.S. Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific: An Australian Perspective,” 42.
- 27.
27. John Kerin, “Cabinet to Approve Another 70 F-35 Fighters,” Australian Financial Review, March 13, 2014.
- 28.
28. Nathan Church, “The Australia-United States Defense Alliance,” Parliament of Australia Briefing Book, (n.d.), http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BriefingBook44p/AustUSDefence
- 29.
29. Jennings, “The U.S. Rebalance to the Asia-Pacific: An Australian Perspective,” 42.
- 30.
30. Robert S. Ross, “The US Pivot to Asia and Implications for Australia,” Centre of Gravity Series Paper No. 5, Strategic and Defense Studies Center, Australian National University, Canberra, March 2013.
- 31.
31. For a sample of the debate in Australia, consult: Peter Leahy, “We Must Not Get Too Close to U.S.,” Australian, April 12, 2012; Greg Sheridan, “Seven Reasons Not to Write off the U.S.,” Australian, July 12, 2012; Kevin Rudd, “West Unprepared for China’s Rise,” Weekend Australian, July 14–15, 2012; Hugh White, “US Can Learn to Share Power with China,” Australian Financial Review, August 6, 2012; Paul Keating, “The US Blind to China’s Rise,” Australian Financial Review, August 7, 2012; “Paper presented by Stephen Smith MP Minister for Defense to the Lowy Institute on the 2013 Defense White Paper, Sydney,” August 9, 2012; Paul Keating, “A case for Chinese Legitimacy,” Weekend Australian, August 11–12, 2012; Brian Toohey, “US Alignment Should Not Exclude China,” Weekend Australian Financial Review, August 11–12, 2012; Paul Dibb, “Why I Disagree with Hugh White on China’s Rise,” Australian, August 13, 2012; Geoffrey Barker, “Security Can’t Be Ignored,” Australian Financial Review, August 27, 2012; Michael Wesley, “Calm Assessment of U.S. Alliance Needed,” Australian, August 27, 2012; Malcolm Fraser, “Australia-US Relations in the ‘Asian Century’,” Address to Asialink, University of Melbourne, September 25, 2012; John Howard, “China Choice a Muddled Notion,” Weekend Australian Financial Review, October 6–7, 2012; Peter Alford, “We Can Be Friends with US and China, Says Our Man on the Diplomatic Front,” Weekend Australian, April 20–21, 2013; Peter Hartcher, “We Rely on the US at Our Peril,” Sydney Morning Herald, May 7, 2013; Gerard Henderson, “Prophet of Doom Fails to Get Real,” Weekend Australian, January 4–5, 2014; John Lee, “No Need to Take a Softly Softly Stand on China,” Australian, February 13, 2014; Paul Dibb, “Manoeuvres Make Waves But in Truth Chinese Navy is a Paper Tiger,” Australian, March 7, 2014; Hugh White, “Sharing Power With China,” New York Times, March 19, 2014, and Michael J. Green, Peter J. Dean, Brendan and Zack Cooper, The ANZUS Alliance in an Ascending Asia, Centre of Gravity Series, (Canberra, Australia: Strategic and Defense Studies Center, Australian National University, July 2015).
- 32.
32. Australian Department of Defense, Defense White Paper 2013, http://www.defence.gov.au/whitepaper/2013/
- 33.
33. “Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations 2012.”
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Thayer, C.A. (2016). US Rebalancing Strategy and Australia’s Response: Business as Usual. In: Huang, D. (eds) Asia Pacific Countries and the US Rebalancing Strategy. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-93453-9_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-93453-9_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-58797-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-93453-9
eBook Packages: Political Science and International StudiesPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)