Australia’s Engagement with Asia

But which Asia?

Outline

• Four ways of looking at this topic: 1. Australia as ‘Asia’;2. Australia and ‘developed Asia’;3. Australia and ‘developing Asia’; and4. An Australian in Asia – biography

But first - some context and background

• “From the 1960s, debate about the Australian response to Asia was fuelled by ideas from the very top. Whitlam on China, for example, Fraser on fleeing Vietnamese and non-European refugees, Hawke on enmeshment, Hawke and Keating both on institutional regionalism, Keating on finding security in not from Asia. These were all tough issues, and there was a strong contest of ideas but there was also a progressively more open and imaginative attitude to the challenges of our region, if not always agreement. The debate necessarily entailed discussion of our identity, what ideas and values were fundamental to our Australianness and could not be compromised.”

• Stephen Fitzgerald, 2012, http://www.thechinastory.org/2012/11/australia-and-china-at-forty-stretch-of-the-imagination/

The current policy?

• “Labor's Asian language vision a delusion, says Stephen FitzGerald…..”.

• "I've been heavily involved (in previous Asia literacy plans) and every time, it doesn't happen. Something gets off the ground, and then it fails," he said.”

•The Australian, 20 February, 2013

But this could be said about every initiative that has attempted to develop closer links

between Australia and Asia

Problem• Why the constant push for Asian

engagement? Are we, as Australians, “Asia –averse”?

• Does Asia-literacy run counter to a strong cultural perverseness in the Australian psyche ?

• If you want Australians to be Asia-literate, where to start?

AUSTRALIA

Asia in Australia

S

Photo: Andrew QuiltySource: Beech, H. (2013, August 19). Defining down under: Changingdemographics, growing closeness with Asia and what that means for Australia. Time, 20-21.

Who is the Australian?

Photo: Andrew QuiltySource: Beech, H. (2013, August 19). Defining down under: Changingdemographics, growing closeness with Asia and what that means for Australia. Time, 20-21.

Photo: Andrew QuiltySource: Beech, H. (2013, August 19). Defining down under: Changing demographics, growing closeness with Asia and what that means for Australia. Time, 20-21.

Photo: Andrew QuiltySource: Beech, H. (2013, August 19). Defining down under: Changing demographics, growing closeness with Asia and what that means for Australia. Time, 20-21.

Photo: Andrew QuiltySource: Beech, H. (2013, August 19). Defining down under: Changing demographics, growing closeness with Asia and what that means for Australia. Time, 20-21.

Asians in AustraliaYear %1947 0.3

2001 5.5

2011 12

http://images.theage.com.au/2011/06/17/2434529/729_migration-420x0.jpg

• But what does this mean?

• How can an Asian Australian population help to support greater engagement with

Asia?

Asian engagement: “Developed” Asia

• Level of Development Countries Very High Japan, South Korea, Hong

Kong, Singapore, Brunei High Malaysia, Sri Lanka,

Medium China, Thailand, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Viet Nam, Timor-Leste, India, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan,

Low Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Nepal,

Source: Beech, H. (2013, August 19). Defining down power: Changing demographics, growing closeness with Asia and what that means for Australia. Time, 23.

Asia will be worth 17.8 billion tourism dollars for Australia

http://www.eturbonews.com/36761/asia-will-be-worth-178-billion-tourism-dollars-australia

Australia funds 35 million dollars for Asia business centre

Education Services An Asian “industry”?

• In 2010-11, the higher education sector generated $9.4 billion in export income (59.7% of total on-shore earnings).

• VET was the second largest, generating $4.1 billion in earnings (25.8%).

• Export income from ELICOS was $802 million (5.1%); schools, $663 million (4.2%); and non-award, $570 million (3.6%).

• Source: https://www.aei.gov.au/research/Research-Snapshots/Documents/Export%20Income%202010-11.pdf

Country Share of Educational Services (%)

China 25

India 12.3

Republic of Korea 5.3

Vietnam 4.7

Malaysia Thailand

4.73.7

Indonesia 3.4

Nepal; 2.8

Hong Kong 2.7

Saudi Arabia 2.1

Other countries 29.3

Source of Australia’s International Students 2010/11

Source: https://www.aei.gov.au/research/Research-Snapshots/Documents/Export%20Income%202010-11.pdf

Summary

• In terms of trade, Australia engages primarily with high end Asian countries – educational services is an exception. But in any case the relationship is purely economic and it is in Australia's favour.

• The current “engagement policy” envisages further engagement with the high end in terms of languages, benchmarks , etc. But what about the rest of Asia?

The ‘other’ Asia

How should young Australian relate

to developing Asia?

The ‘other’ Asia• Level of Development Countries

Very High Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei

High Malaysia, Sri Lanka,

Medium China, Thailand, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Viet Nam, Timor-Leste, India, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan,

Low Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Nepal.

Understanding Asia’s diversity

Active citizenship

Interacting with developing Asia

Learning about Asia• It is not just learning to be competitive…• It is not just learning about competitive

advantage….• It is not just learning about trade

opportunities…..

Learning Asia• It is about ‘learning Asia’:• for its uniqueness, but also its

commonalities with Australia; • for the lessons it can teach, but also for

those we can share from our own experience

• for the experience we can have in Asian contexts, but also what we can offer in return

甘國臻A biographic note: “Learning Asia” can

be a challenge!