Australia Under the Influence of U.S.A Research Paper (Essay Sample)

USA Exerts Influence on Australia
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The USA is a super power country which has its influence in many countries all over the world. The super power nation is able to manipulate countries in to submitting to their demands. Australia is on the other hand a middle power nation that can therefore be easily manipulated by USA. Australia is also a good international citizen in most fields and at the same time a realist state. The Asian century simply implies the period whereby America as a nation has started feeling threatened by other countries rising in power in the Asia-Pacific region. China is specifically a country which is ascending in power at an alarming rate and statistics states possibilities of the country overtaking the United States when it comes to power. Australia as a country which is in the Asian-Pacific region has been obliged to accommodate China as a country which is rising in power. This is evident from the fact that Australia compromises when it comes to issues of peace and war when it comes to China. This as a result indicates the reduced influence USA has over Australia as the country has inclined towards forming alliances with China. This article therefore examines and elaborates ways in which the United States of America has ceased to exert influence on Australia during the Asian century.
China is a county which is rising in power in the South Pacific. In the few weeks before the release of the Defense white paper by the Australian government, the Australian government postulated a message of being back in the Pacific Region from the western region when the country’s defense minister visited China for the first time. According to Brissenden (2013), China is always part of discussion when it comes to the security of Australia. The defense white paper used a conciliatory tone towards China indicating the urgency of Australia to work side by side with China in order to develop and in turn do away with influences from other nations superior to them (Brissenden, 2013). Compared to the defense paper which had been released in 2009, the 2012 release indicates the conformation of Australia towards the influence of China rather that the United States of America. Australia being a middle power society and at the same time a realist society, the pace, scope and structure of the modernization of China’s military force gives them a sense of protection from the threats of other influential societies (Bisley, 2012, p. 27). China’s military also gives Australia a course of concern and the need to also grow to the level of China and USA when it comes to power in order for them to be able to be protected from other nation’s influence (AEC, 2012, p. 1).
The white paper released by the Australian defense minister indicated that the country has resolute to take advantage of the pacific century in order to rise in power in the decades to come. The white paper has an intention of setting out constructive and forward-looking attitude of Australian engagement to China and other countries in the Asian community (DPMC, 2012, p. 57-58). Due to good international citizenship of Australia, the white paper indicated that the country welcomed China’s rise in power. Not only did Australia welcome the rise of China due to economic and social benefits, but also due to the entire international system being strengthened and deepened. The white paper further indicates the influence of China on Australia as Australian students would be offered the opportunity while at the same time encouraged to learn Chinese among other Asian languages. The white paper also indicated the interest of Australia in enhancing Australia’s diplomatic footprint in Asia hence indicating the drift from the Western World.
When it comes to china and the USA, Australia seeks to work with the side which is more concerned with development rather than conflicts (DPMC, 2012, p. 60). Consequently regarding the financial crisis, Australia is siding with China as they are more development oriented compared to America whose aim is chiefly to have influence over countries with less power compared to them. Australia has formed a strategic power relationship with China as they have economic power and political influence.
According to He Baogang (2012), there are concerns of Australia, as a middle power nation, being caught between the wrangles of the United States of America and China as a highly power ascending nation. The argument of the author postulates to the reader on the reduced influence that the USA has on Australia during the Asian Century (He, 2012, p. 54-55). Australia as a middle power country has opted to be accommodative of China and in addition Australia has no fear whatsoever when it comes to China as a rising power. Considering Australia’s culture and political system, the country has mutual understanding and relationship when it comes to China compared to the USA hence the loss of influence the USA has over the country. Despite the fact that Australia has been under the influence of the USA after the cold war, China’s strong military force has forced Australia to shift their attention from the Western region to the Asia-Pacific region (PWC, 2013, p. 1).
According to Clinton (2011), in order for America to be able to sustain their leadership, they need to be smart on where to invest time and energy during the coming years. America is concerned of the Asia-Pacific region as it is the home of countries like China, India and Indonesia which are emerging powers. From the article, it can be concluded that America is alarmed of losing its leadership and influence on the countries in this region, Australia being among them (Clinton, 2011). America has in the past signed treaties for alliance with Australia which has in the past made Australia to be inferior to the super power. Due to the fear of losing the influence USA has on Australia and other Asian countries, the super power has resolved into expanding their alliance within the region. When it came to Australia, America has opted for Indo-Pacific alliance from a Pacific partnership. The United States of America has also worked hard on developing better partnerships with China as they believe it will benefit them. Brissenden confirms the fears of the USA when he argues that the ministers from Australia, USA and other countries still receive warm treatment in the Pacific region whereas it is evident that Chinas is the country that receives the VIP treatment (Brissenden, 2013). Therefore from the above argument, it is clearly evident that USA has lost its influence in Australia and other Asian countries.
Griffiths and Wesley (2010) advocate that Australia has attempted to engage Asia using majorly two diplomatic strategies. Being a realist community, Australia has used dogged prudentialism as a strategy together with engagement diplomacy. Due to the good international citizenship of Australia, the country built relationships with other countries within the region based on the shared common interests (Griffiths & Wesley, 2010). After the diplomatic exclusion Australia suffered from in 2005 due to diplomatic rivalries, from Asian super powers, the country decided to foster proper relationships with other countries. As a result, the country has decided to accommodate China as a stepping stone towards it journey towards becoming a super power and being dependent on itself (AJPH, 2013, p. 343). The work of the country in ensuring equal treatment of women majorly in Asian-Pacific region also indicates the struggle of the country to foster good relationship within the region.
Australia has been inimitably placed on the global scene to make difference in the lives of women, who are in conflict, transitional and post conflict countries. Australia ensures that these women are actively represented during all peace negotiations. The Australian government has ensured that they have represented women in the UN women as well as the United Nations Security Council. The Australian government can for that reason fulfill its promise to engage women through the UN’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda (AJIA, 2014, p. 1). In order to build structural conditions for gender-equal lasting peace, the Australian government has used foreign policies and requested for over sees aids. Through the use of these strategies, the country has been able to enhance the process of peace building within the Asia-Pacific region hence enabling them to build strong trust and support within the region. The Australian government has developed its international leadership on the pillars of the Women, Peace and Security agenda (Sherpherd & True, 2014, p. 1). The Women, Peace and Security agenda is as a result significant to Australia as it is part of the countries agenda on of developing from middle power to a more powerful nation.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an association whose main objective is security of the community. Another aim and function of the association is to increase the economic and cultural welfare of the people in the region. The association in the resent years has suffered challenges from the rising membership together with the influence by China. In order for the countries in this region to ensure they deliver on their agenda, they have decided to form their own partnership with China and other countries rising in power in the region (Acharya, 2009, p. 495). The formation of this association has the potential of providing stability of Southeast Asia and Asian Pacific region in the future. The stability within the region is a way of accumulation of power hence states will be able to escape the impact of power of other nations. According to Acharya’s argument, the formation of ASEAN was a strategy for th...