The 18th Broadyard Workshop (博雅工作坊) of the Institute of Area Studies, Peking University (PKUIAS), titled “Australian Perceptions of Asia: Historical Origins and Pragmatic Paradoxes,” was held at Yingjie Exchange Center on May 13, 2019. More than ten experts and scholars from domestic universities and research institutes engaged in the in-depth exchange and discussions on topics such as US–Sino–Australian relations, changes in Australian understanding of China, and the evolution of Australian perceptions of Asia.
In recent years, Australia has witnessed the rise of the “China threat” theory, even though the peaceful rise pursued by China does not pose any security threat to Australia. How is it possible that the “China threat” theory could develop to such a great extent in Australia? According to the scholars attending the workshop, it is difficult to explain the development of “China threat” theory in Australia from the perspective of national security and bilateral economic ties. Australia’s misgivings about China are mainly based on its concerns regarding the uncertainties of the evolution of the international order. In addition, the influence exerted by the US as an ally and China’s presence in the South Pacific region also have played a supplementary role to a certain extent and had an impact on Australian perceptions of China.
With the intensification of Sino–US competition, there is less room for maneuver when Australia makes its China policy, and it has had to sacrifice economic benefits for security interests. Meanwhile, Australia is proactively seeking alternatives to both the US and China. The scholars opined that, in the future, Australia will focus on promoting an Indo-Pacific strategy, create an Australia-centric geopolitical sphere, and increase its discourse power in regional affairs.
As a “European country located in Asia,” Australian perceptions of Asia have undergone the gamut of the “Yellow Peril” in the early days and the “Red Peril” after World War II, and then entered a period dominated by “Populate or Perish” and the “White Australia policy.” In the era of constructing a multicultural society, racial superiority is no longer a fashionable discourse. In contrast, how to interact with Asia and how to further integrate into Asia and benefit from Asia’s rapid development have become questions that Australians have to think about.
At the conference, scholars pointed out that contemporary Australia’s perceptions of Asia and policies toward Asia, which are contradictory and divergent, reflect a mid-level power’s understanding and judgement about its strategic environment. The mainstream of Asia–Australian relations as well as Sino–Australian relations remains stable, and there is no direct conflict involving core national security interests between China and Australia, both of which belong to the Asia-Pacific community and possess a shared future. Furthermore, Australia’s national orientation and interests indicate that there should be plenty of space for Sino–Australian cooperation. Therefore, although the two countries’ bilateral relations have experienced setbacks in recent years, we can hold a cautious but optimistic attitude toward the future development of Sino–Australian relations in the long run.
Attendees also expounded on and explored other topics, such as Australia’s geo-economic perceptions of Asia and the external environment of Sino–Australian economic diplomacy, which further sparked heated discussions.
