Australia launches five country strategies covering major relationships in Asia

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Australia launches five country strategies covering major relationships in Asia

(Xinhua) 15:58, August 28, 2013

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CANBERRA, Aug. 28 -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has launched the Australia in the Asian Century Country Strategy for China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea, covering Australia's five major relationships in Asia.

"Because of their size, economic links with Australia, and strategic and political influence in the region and globally, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea were identified as the initial priority countries for the development of country strategies," the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed.

At his speech on Tuesday at Lowy Institute for International Policy, Rudd unveiled country strategies for China and Japan, the last two of the five country strategies.

The China Country Strategy contains recommendations to increase "Asian literacy" and the number of Australian students in China, boost tourism and reduce trade barriers as listed by the Asian Century White Paper released last year.

"China's rise to the top of the global economic and political order is defining the 21st century. By 2025, China is set to be the world's largest economy," the strategy said.

It estimates that the Chinese economy's size and scale, combined with robust growth, will consistently make China the largest contributor to global and Asian economic growth leading up to 2025.

China is Australia's largest trading partner, with two-way flow of goods and services worth over 125 billion U.S. dollars in 2012. In addition, China is Australia's second-largest source of skilled migrants, with 10,000 skilled migrants in the year to February 2013.

China is also the largest source country of international students. There are currently around 160,000 Chinese students in Australia.

The strategy indicates that the bilateral relationship is growing at an unprecedented pace and new opportunities for engagement continue to emerge.

"Australia will require vision, innovative thinking and commitment to harness opportunities and manage the complexities of our bilateral relationship," it said.

The target outlined by the strategy said that "As we move towards 2025, Australia will strive to enhance its knowledge of China across the government, business, education and community sectors. Australia will work persistently with China to open markets and minimize impediments to trade. And Australia's trade and investment relationship with China will be broader and more diverse."

"In today's globalised market, it is vital that Australia remains competitive," Prime Minister Rudd said at Tuesday's speech. "We will reduce barriers to trade by concluding the free trade agreement and encouraging greater regional economic integration."

However, local newspaper The Australian said Wednesday that the government's China strategy failed to offer new recommendations.

"I would have to say I would give this report about 7.5 out of 10. It ticks the main boxes in recommending lifting education links and growing tourism, but it was pretty short on bold new ideas that could change the game," the newspaper quoted the Australia China Alumni Association founder Edward Smith as saying.

In the Country Strategy for Japan, released on the same day, the government outlines that Australia's partnership with Japan is its "closest and most mature" in the region, and is "a model for Australia's wider engagement with Asia".

According to this report, Australia's trade with Japan has been a mainstay of its economy for decades and will remain so in the future.

As Australia's second-largest trading partner, Japan accounts for just under one in four of all export dollars Australia earns, with total goods and services trade amounting to 71 billion U.S. dollars in 2012. Australia is Japan's number one source of coal, iron ore, liquefied natural gas (LNG), uranium, beef and dairy products.

Japanese investment has been key to Australia's past economic development and has continued to grow apace in recent years, almost doubling since 2007 to reach 126.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2012.

Japan is currently Australia's third-largest source of foreign investment after the United States and the United Kingdom. Beyond trade, Japan is "a key partner for Australia in the region and globally, including through our shared alliance partner the United States".

Country strategies for India, Indonesia and South Korea have been launched in July and August and each strategy outlines a vision of where Australia's relationship with the country should be in 2025 and how the Australia intends to get there.

The strategies identify opportunities for community, business and government to participate in and contribute to the process of deepening and strengthening Australian regional engagement.

The Country Strategies for India indicates that "Australia's relationship with India has perhaps the greatest potential to grow out of all of Australia's significant bilateral relationships in Asia".

"There is no greater symbol of the ties we share with India than the contribution and successes of the Indian diaspora who have made Australia home," Rudd said in a statement on the strategy for India on Aug. 25.