Foreign relations of Australia

Over recent decades, Australia’s foreign relations have been driven by a close association with the United States, through the ANZUS pact and by a desire to develop relationships with Asia and the Pacific, particularly through ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum. In 2005 Australia secured an inaugural seat at the East Asia Summit following its accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Australia is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, in which the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings provide the main forum for co-operation. Much of Australia’s diplomatic energy is focused on international trade liberalisation. Australia led the formation of the Cairns Group and APEC, and is a member of the OECD and the WTO. Australia has pursued several major bilateral free trade agreements, most recently the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

Australia is a founding member of the United Nations, and maintains an international aid program under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005-06 budget provides AUSD 2.5bn for development assistance;[9] as a percentage of GDP, this contribution is less than that of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Australia’s armed forces - the Australian Defence Force (ADF) - comprise the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). All branches of the ADF have been involved in UN and regional peacekeeping (most recently in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Sudan), disaster relief, and armed conflict, including the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The government appoints the chief of the Defence Force from one of the armed services; the current chief is Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston. In 2005-06, the defence budget is AUSD 17.5bn

World War II

Relations with Britain

At the beginning of World War II, Australia was still part of the British Empire. Indeed, as it had not yet ratified the Statute of Westminster, it could still be considered a British colony (the Statute was ratified in 1942). Some Australians still considered themselves British.

On September 3, 1939, Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced, “Great Britain has declared war on Germany, and as a result, Australia is also at war… There can be no doubt that where Great Britain stands, there stand the people of the entire British world.”

Australia was the first nation to come to Great Britain’s aid, sending numerous men to fight in the Middle East and North Africa.

After the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, direct danger was coming closer to Australia. Japanese attacks continued through Burma, Borneo, the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) and Malaya. The island of Singapore was strategically crucial for the Allied forces. When Singapore fell to the Japanese on February 15, 1942, Australia realised they were alone and defenceless.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had given priority to the European war and was unable to provide much support to the Australians. Prime Minister John Curtin appealed to the US instead, “Australia looks to America free of any pangs as to our traditional links of kinship with Great Britain.” This began the shifting of foreign policy for Australia from relying on Great Britain alone and shifting towards the United States.