Writer: Zhiqun Zhu, Bucknell College
US–China competitors is a defining problem of the current. A lot consideration has focussed on the behaviour of those two nice powers and their impression on international affairs. However because the US–China rivalry persists, an essential query is what third events can do — particularly nations like Australia which have large stakes in sustaining productive relations with each powers.
The challenges dealing with third events and their coverage choices are understudied. These nations have their very own pursuits and company. Their selections is not going to solely have an effect on themselves however may form the course and end result of US–China competitors. Whereas the US offers safety safety to its allies, China is the most important buying and selling associate of over 120 nations, together with most US allies and companions. This stress between their political and financial pursuits is not going to change any time quickly.
As a substitute of siding with both the US or China of their nice energy competitors, third events can play a mediatory function. Singapore has repeatedly informed the US and China that it’s going to not take sides and has inspired the 2 powers to resolve their disputes peacefully. However can Australia, a revered center energy that has vital pursuits in sustaining robust relations with each Washington and Beijing, assist ease tensions between the 2 nations?
Australia–China relations have began to enhance since Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took workplace in Could 2022. Defence and overseas ministers from Australia and China have met and the 2 governments could also be able to reset the at present tense relationship.
Australia can assist bridge the hole between the US and China. For instance, Australia’s official response to each US Speaker of the Home Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan go to and China’s subsequent response was reasonable and nuanced. Australia can counsel each Washington and Beijing to scale back tensions within the Taiwan Strait. Within the South Pacific, Australia may urge the US and China to give attention to areas of frequent curiosity reminiscent of local weather change, international well being and nuclear non-proliferation, as an alternative of pursuing zero-sum strategic competitors.
The South Pacific has change into the newest area of nice energy contest. The US and Australia are involved by China’s rising affect in a area historically in their very own sphere of affect. Whereas this raises considerations, it’s unsurprising that as Chinese language energy grows, it’s increasing its commerce and affect to totally different components of the world.
Australia, the most important energy within the area, wants to find the way it can assist decrease tensions and give attention to eliminating current risks. As delegates from a number of nations to the 2022 Shangri-La Dialogue emphasised, the largest nationwide and regional safety menace to the South Pacific is local weather change.
Australia has made some impartial and sensible selections earlier than. Then opposition chief Gough Whitlam travelled to China in 1971, across the similar time as former US nationwide safety advisor Henry Kissinger secretly visited Beijing. Whitlam normalised relations with China in December 1972 shortly after taking workplace, six years forward of the US. In 2015, Australia, along with many different US allies, joined the Chinese language-initiated Asian Infrastructure Funding Financial institution, regardless of opposition from the US.
China already has a respectable presence within the South Pacific and its affect will develop attributable to its increasing commerce, funding, diasporic neighborhood and geostrategic pursuits. Pacific island nations typically welcome Chinese language contributions to selling regional improvement and combatting local weather change, regardless of some safety considerations.
Australia helps Pacific regionalism by way of the Pacific Islands Discussion board, the premier driver of regional choice making. Each China and the US are dialogue companions of the Pacific Islands Discussion board. As a substitute of pushing again in opposition to Chinese language affect, which can show futile, Australia can play a management function in working with regional nations and exterior powers, together with the US and China, to advertise regional improvement.
Australia may additionally assist increase the brand new Companions within the Blue Pacific Initiative to incorporate extra nations keen to contribute to regional improvement. This new partnership was initiated by Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the UK and the US as a approach to obtain more practical and environment friendly cooperation in help of the Pacific islands’ priorities — notably local weather change and regional improvement. China could possibly be a helpful addition to this initiative.
Such approaches is not going to solely substantively assist South Pacific nations, however can even facilitate constructive interactions between the US and China, whereas additional integrating China into the regional order to advance an inclusive worldwide system. Such a helpful end result serves everybody’s curiosity and is price Australia’s management efforts.
But whereas in principle Australia’s engagement coverage has potential advantages in responding to China’s affect within the Pacific, there stays doable robust opposition from the US and a home polity that insists Australia resist in any respect prices China’s affect in ‘our’ area.
Zhiqun Zhu is Professor of Political Science and Worldwide Relations at Bucknell College. He’s additionally a Fulbright Scholar at Griffith College.
