CDNVERSATION

economic miracle Lee Kuannew is reported to have pre-mthe 19805 that Australia was~ to become the poor white

of Asia.~: Australians would feel today

he got that wrong, but there

it mto one ofthe worlds trading\-'l'S.

. . will be the Asian Century,- ious century havingbelongedzica.

an navigate it? What place mightr aget at the table?

The intent is worthy, the result11. (Editors note: the White

was released after the time of~,key details on pages 3-7)

Given Australias Western herit-s an island at that, in the Asia

there is no guarantee weA this vital policy review right.

in Asian Century is more chall-g for Australians than an

H Paci c century and it is also~- likely. The economic guresX Chinese and Indian growth are

time and again though thenuedeconomic power oflapan

when overlooked.As former British Prime Minister

limes an Society I Volume 350

Gordon Brown puts it, the Westis now being outproduced. out-manufactured, outtraded, andout-invested", and leading internat-ional companies admit that themajority of their growth will comefrom Asia.

The United States, of course,remains a major military and econ-omic power, but in seminars andelsewhere in the Asian region itsrelative decline is often discussed.

lt is no longer the major exportdestination for most Asian countries;Secretary of State Clinton now asks

whether the debt crisis might damageAmericas continued capacity toproject power in the Asia Paci c;

Chapter 1

C T Australia ready for the Asian Century?i:- rTony Milner of the Australian National University examines

a er the nation is prepared for the Asian Century

newspapers across Asia report UnitedStates Vice President ]oe Bidenassuring Beijing that America willmeet its debt obligations. This is notthe United States of a decade ago.

In the 2009 Australian DefenceWhite Paper the Australian govern-ment was already contemplating aless United Statesdependent future.

Australia, it explained, has been

a very secure country for manydecades largely because peace andstability have been underwritten byUS strategic primacy.

That order is being transformedas economic changes start to bringabout changes in the distribution ofstrategic power and risks resulting

Australia's Engagement with Asia 1