languages and cultures to age without replacement. Notto mention letting students who are not native speakersdrop Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian as if theres notomorrow.

Yet even as our higher education sector strugglesand our claim to expertise in Asian affairs crumbles, weassume that our long run ofeconomic luck entitles us toinuence 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 reputationAustralians who follow the Asian discourse, live in

the region, or visit regularly, not just as tourists, knowthat our reputation in Asian countries falls short of ourcommon expectations.

Australia is seen in the region as hostile, threateningand unwelcoming, and disengaged from Asian affairs,says John McCarthy, formerly Ambassador to ve AsianCountries, and most recently Our Man in lndia.

Australians are insular internationalists who travelbut are seen to ignore the world, says Michael Wesley,one of our keenest foreign policy minds.

The expertise in international alfairs offormer leadersKevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbullwas worthless,he adds,noting that Gillard and Leader of the Opposition TonyAbbott, have next to none.

lf leaders on both sides of politics understood howAustralians ignorance and presumption grate in Asiancountries, they would recognise that we view ourreputation as we wish it to be, not as it is.

We have to show that we believeprojecting Australia in Asian countries

is not a waste of time and money.

Things can changeBut stereotypes, by denition out of date, can be

changed by current realities. As Australia changes,perceptions in the region will catch up, particularly ifwe improve our public and cultural diplomacy and ourinternational broadcasting. We have to show that webelieve projecting Australia in Asian countries is not awaste of time and money.

if Ken Henrys White Paper acknowledges these

unpalatable truths, and recommends appropriate action,he will have done Australia a great service.

Weak alliesThe Prime Ministers key proposition is that Australia

can stand strongly in our changing region", whilesimultaneously having an ally inWashington and respectin Beijing.

The tyranny of a weak American ally must also bemterrogated by Dr Henry, who will understand that theUS debt, and hence indirectly Americas military role inthe region, is funded by China, our putative enemy.

issues in Society 1 Volume 350

In late September the Chinese Peoples Daily warnedunnamed countries which think as long as they canbalance China with the help ofthe United States militarypower, they are free to do whatever they want may haveanother thing coming.

That includes what China classies as small andweakcountries like Australia.

It is the stakes that are new here, not the century norAustralia's place in Asia.

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

2011 Alison Broinowski. Posted 12 October 2011.The Conversation 1 http://theconversation.edu.au

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