Along with many other nations, Australia ceased diplomatic and trade relations for the next two years. Another nation with which Australia had a developing relationship was Indonesia. Whitlam did not object to the invasion of Portuguese Timor by Indonesian troops in 1975 because maintaining good diplomatic relations with Indonesia was considered the highest priority at the time.

The government could only express regret for the Timorese people as they were not prepared to go to war. Hawke and especially Keating also supported Indonesia despite their continuing maltreatment of the East Timorese people. When John Howard was elected in 1996, he saw the opportunity to distinguish himself from the previous Labor approach to the East Timor conflict. Immediately he sent peacekeeping forces into East Timor and advocated Australia’s support for their independence. The role of this support of an essentially Catholic country against a Muslim nation was detrimental to Australia’s reputation with other Muslim countries.

This occurred at a time when Muslim extremists were escalating their attacks on Western communities, especially the USA. Howard’s foreign policy initiatives in the 90s were essentially directed towards re-enforcing alliances with the USA. The combination of supporting the US and the Timorese against the Muslim World has had detrimental effects on Australia’s relationship with Middle Eastern countries and some Asian countries. This has culminated in Australia’s active engagement in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The recent change of government in Indonesia and Australia’s generous response to the Tsunami have helped to improve relationships with Indonesia and therefore with Asia.

Current views

Because Australia had always thought of itself as a part of the British Empire more so than an independent country relying on its own strength, when Britain left Australia to its own means in the Pacific War of World War Two, Australia felt the need to turn immediately to the protection of the US. When the Whitlam government was seen to be moving away from American alliance and developing our own policies, there were concerns, both internally and in the US. Some believe allegiances with the US over the last half century have inhibited the development of relationships with the more strategically placed Asia.

Australia has diversified into stronger relations with Indonesia, China, ASEAN nations and other Asian nations, however none to level of relations that it currently has with United States an other OECD nations. Australia, in 2004-2005, concluded a Free Trade agreement with the United States, thought to be in reply to Australia’s support in the Iraq war of 2003, and gave the largest aid donation of USD 1 billion to the reconstruction of Indonesia’s effect regions after the 2004 boxing day Tsunamis.

Foreign policy actions

Its first major independent foreign policy action was to conclude an agreement in 1944 with New Zealand dealing with the security, welfare, and advancement of the people of the independent territories of the Pacific (the ANZAC pact). After the war, Australia played a role in the Far Eastern Commission in Japan and supported Indonesian independence during that country’s revolt against the Dutch (1945-49). Australia was one of the founders of both the United Nations and the South Pacific Commission (1947), and in 1950, it proposed the Colombo Plan to assist developing countries in Asia.

In addition to contributing to UN forces in Korea–it was the first country to announce it would do so after the United States–Australia sent troops to assist in putting down the communist revolt in Malaya in 1948-60 and later to combat the Indonesian-supported invasion of Sarawak in 1963-65. Australia also sent troops to assist South Vietnamese and U.S. forces in Vietnam and joined coalition forces in the Persian Gulf conflict in 1991. Australia has been active in the Australia-New Zealand- U.K. agreement and the Five-Power Defense Arrangement–successive arrangements with Britain and New Zealand to ensure the security of Singapore and Malaysia.

International agencies, treaties, and agreements

One of the drafters of the UN Charter, Australia has given firm support to the United Nations and its specialized agencies. It was a member of the Security Council in 1986-87, a member of the Economic and Social Council for 1986-89, and a member of the UN Human Rights Commission for 1994-96. Australia takes a prominent part in many other UN activities, including peacekeeping, disarmament negotiations, and narcotics control. Australia also is active in meetings of the Commonwealth Heads of Government and the South Pacific Forum, and has been a leader in the Cairns Group–countries pressing for agricultural trade reform in the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations–and in the APEC forum.

Australia has devoted particular attention to relations between developed and developing nations, with emphasis on the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)–Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Brunei–and the island states of the South Pacific. Australia is an active participant in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which promotes regional cooperation on security issues. In September 1999, acting under a UN Security Council mandate, Australia led an international coalition to restore order in East Timor upon Indonesia’s withdrawal from that territory.

Australia has a large bilateral aid program (about USD 1.3 billion for 1997-98, mostly in the form of grants) under which some 60 countries receive assistance. Papua New Guinea (PNG), a former Australian trust territory, is the largest recipient of Australian assistance. In 1997, Australia contributed to the IMF program for Thailand and assisted Indonesia and PNG with regional environmental crises. From 1997-99 Australia contributed to IMF program for Thailand and assisted Indonesia and PNG with regional environmental crisis and drought relief efforts.

Australia is party to the Australia, New Zealand, United States security treaty (ANZUS).

Foreign missions

Australia has diplomatic representatives in most countries. Australia has official relations with a number of countries, with these countries it maintains an embassy or in the case of Commonwealth countries, a high commission. Australia has consulates in many countries where there are no official government ties, these serve primarily to assist Australian travellers and business people. A number of Canadian missions provide consular assistance to Australians in countries in Africa where Australia does not maintain an office. Australian also maintains a Representative Office in the Palestinian Authority.