ISSUE 191 : Jul/Aug - 2013 - Australian Defence Force Journal

A Time to Speak: finding a voice in the Asia Pacific
Cate Carter
Introduction
Two recent articles in the ADF Journal provoke thought on the issue of Asia-Pacific relations.
The articles by Peter Brown and Ben McLennan provide alternate approaches to balancing
the perceived ‘southern power play’ between China and the US. Brown’s article suggests one
option for Australia would be to contemplate a partnership with China to provide tailored aid
packages to developing states, 1 while McLennan’s proposes a robust joint arrangement with
US forces on bases and training activities. 2
While each approach seeks to support a major player in the region, this article offers another
approach for the ADF, namely to reclaim the regional expertise it once held and position itself
as the partner of choice for regional states undergoing stabilisation. It acknowledges that the
ADF often does not speak up about its experiences and suggests ways in which it can improve
its engagement with the region.
Certainly, the dominant theme of the ‘eroding status’ of Australia in the region is evident in
much of the commentary on this subject. One aspect of this position is the relative status of
Australia vis-à-vis the US; the other is the absolute status of Australia as a regional leader.
In an earlier article in the Australian Army Journal, I argued that Army is occasionally embarrassed
by the superior language skills and cultural knowledge of other military forces operating in
our neighbourhood and engaging with our neighbours. 3 This is particularly pertinent to US
forces, who seem to upstage us in regional engagement without being necessarily present in
the region. This relative advantage is apparent to the US Department of Defense, which prefers
short, energetic visits and infrastructure projects over long-term capacity-building programs.
The absolute advantage of Australian presence in the region is mostly overlooked by our
preference to react to natural disasters and emergencies, over a broader plan to engage
proactively and aggressively. The mission to regain regional expertise ‘post Afghanistan’
addresses both our relative and absolute status, and galvanises a position of influence with
neighbouring states.
The good news is that the reclamation of regional status need not involve expensive new
programs. The ADF’s involvement in peace-building and state-building projects in the Asia
Pacific region has made it, quite unwittingly, a leader in several fields. These capabilities are
somewhat taken for granted but offer a marked advantage over others. The ADF needs to
speak up now about its experiences in the ‘global south’ or risk having them taken over and
rebranded forever.
Our Asia Pacific experience
ADF operations in the Asia Pacific region have been characterised by a strong history of postconflict
reconstruction and natural disaster assistance. Our tendency is to visit and revisit as
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