Pacific Polarity Brief #5: Australia’s Place in Asia
A Conversation with Richard Broinowski
The podcast, including a full transcript, can be accessed here.
As a majority White country, with its origins as a British settler-colony, Australia had been historically been uneasy about its geographic location, distant from other centers of European civilization. This unease was deeply reflected in “yellow peril” narratives and the infamous White Australia policy, which effectively barred non-White immigration for around a century until its dismantling in the 1970s.
At the same time the United States was withdrawing from the Vietnam War and rethinking long-standing assumptions about race, gender, and social norms, Australia, which had also initially enthusiastically fought in the Vietnam War, was also going through its own national introspection; as we mentioned in our first episode, this was a pivotal moment when Australia began to look beyond its traditional reliance on “great and powerful friends” with shared cultural heritage, shifting its diplomatic gaze toward Asia, especially Southeast Asia.
Our guest in this episode, Richard Broinowski, was at the forefront of putting this strategic pivot into practice. Over the course of his diplomatic career, he served as ambassador to Vietnam and South Korea during the 1980s, and other diplomatic postings, including Japan, Myanmar, Iran and the Philippines prior to that.
Broinowski shared his experiences in Vietnam, particularly during a period when the country was diplomatically isolated due to its occupation of Cambodia. His posting not only enabled practical engagement with Vietnam, but also served as a launchpad for broader regional diplomacy, including a better understanding of the then-insular China, and meeting future Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
An avoidable subject in this discussion is the U.S.-China intensifying U.S.–China rivalry. The White House’s push for countries to pick sides amid its ongoing trade and technology wars, contrasted with Xi Jinping’s calls during his recent Southeast Asia tour to “oppose unilateralism,” make this a particularly salient topic right now.
Broinowski contrasted Vietnam’s “realistic” and pragmatic position toward China, seeking cooperation while standing up for its interests, with what he viewed as unnecessarily combative rhetoric from some former Liberal governments in Australia; he wants Australia to build a more constructive relationship with China. He agrees that the U.S. is vastly underestimating China’s strength and resolve during the ongoing trade war.
While emphasizing the enduring importance of Australia’s relationship with the United States, Broinowski also expressed strong criticism of AUKUS, calling it “inappropriate for the defense of Australia.” He argued that the agreement may constrain Australia’s freedom of action in conducting international affairs, particularly in its engagement with Southeast Asia. He suggested that if a “more moderate, careful, and knowledgeable president” were to take office in Washington, U.S.-Australia relations might return to what they were before.
Addressing Australia’s recent struggles to deepen ties with ASEAN countries, Broinowski pointed to shortcomings in Australian soft power, particularly a lack of messaging attuned to regional sensibilities. Nonetheless, he credited the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for its sustained emphasis on Southeast Asia, at least in terms of diplomatic effort and presence.
The conversation also touched on a wide range of broader regional topics, including Japan’s “lost decades” and evolving defense posture, U.S. and Israeli roles in nuclear negotiations with Iran, the ongoing debate in South Korea about strategic alignment with either Washington or Beijing, and his experience working in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The podcast, including a full transcript, can be accessed here.