languages and cultures to age without replacement.

Not
to mention letting students who are not native speakers
drop Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian as if theres no

tomorrow.
Yet even as our higher education sector struggles
and our claim to expertise in Asian affairs crumbles, we
assume that our long run ofeconomic luck entitles us to

inuence in the region.

3
=

in this, and in standing for election to the UN Security

Council, Australia is presuming a lot on our reputation.

Bad reputation
Australians who follow the Asian discourse, live in

the region, or visit regularly, not just as tourists, know

that our reputation in Asian countries falls short of our
common expectations.
Australia is seen in the region as hostile, threatening
and unwelcoming, and disengaged from Asian affairs,
says John McCarthy, formerly Ambassador to ve Asian
Countries, and most recently Our Man in lndia.
Australians are insular internationalists who travel
but are seen to ignore the world, says Michael Wesley,
one of our keenest foreign policy minds.
The expertise in international alfairs offormer leaders
Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbullwas worthless,he adds,

noting that Gillard and Leader of the Opposition Tony

Abbott, have next to none.

lf leaders on both sides of politics understood how

Australians ignorance and presumption grate in Asian

countries, they would recognise that we view our
reputation as we wish it to be, not as it is.

We have to show that we believe

projecting Australia in Asian countries
is not a waste of time and money.
Things can change
But stereotypes, by denition out of date, can be
changed by current realities. As Australia changes,
perceptions in the region will catch up, particularly if
we improve our public and cultural diplomacy and our
international broadcasting. We have to show that we
believe projecting Australia in Asian countries is not a

In late September the Chinese Peoples Daily warned

unnamed countries which think as long as they can
balance China with the help ofthe United States military
power, they are free to do whatever they want may have
another thing coming.
That includes what China classies as small and weak
countries like Australia.
It is the stakes that are new here, not the century nor

Australia's place in Asia.

Alison Broinowski is a Visiting Fellow, Faculty of/isian
Studies at the Australian National University.

waste of time and money.

if Ken Henrys White Paper acknowledges these

unpalatable truths, and recommends appropriate action,

2011 Alison Broinowski. Posted 12 October 2011.

The Conversation 1 http://theconversation.edu.au

he will have done Australia a great service.

Weak allies
The Prime Ministers key proposition is that Australia
can stand strongly in our changing region", while
simultaneously having an ally in Washington and respect

in Beijing.
The tyranny of a weak American ally must also be
mterrogated by Dr Henry, who will understand that the

US debt, and hence indirectly Americas military role in

the region, is funded by China, our putative enemy.

issues in Society 1 Volume 350

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