Asia-Pacific Security - Essay Example

Name) (Course) (University) Date of presentation: Lecturer: Question: Discuss the relevance of the US president Barak Obama’s statement to increase military presence in Darwin, what challenges US and Australia face, what is the response of the countries in the region, what implications this development will have for Asia- Pacific security? Introduction Recent disputes about sovereignty claims in the South China Sea have not only caught attention of the world spotlight but have also presented opportunities for China to reconsider its perceived primacy in the Asia-Pacific region. Undeniably, the United States has in numerous ways made multiple efforts to influence disagreements between China and her neighbors over the sovereignty of important and strategic islands and sea territories in the region. On numerous occasions, the United States military and political leadership has made clear the country’s resolve to protect United States interests and allies in the Asia-Pacific region. By the same token, the United States military prowess has been strengthened through collaborative engagements with a majority of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. A recent move by the United States to assert her supremacy in the Asia Pacific region was the announcement by the Obama administration that America will increase its military presence in Australia and neighboring countries. This was immediately interpreted as a move by the US to counter China’s potential rise as a regional power1. On its part, the People’s Republic of China has strongly opposed involvement of the United States in sovereignty disputes or internationalization of those disputes and could wish to settle them through bilateral engagements. Accordingly, China perceives the expansion of United States military presence in Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region as a major threat to its sovereignty interests. This paper evaluates the implications of the United States recent decision to increase military presence in Australia. Australian Defense Strategy and Its Role in America’s Asia-Pacific Military Expansion Strategy: Impact on the China Factor Being descendants from same Anglo-Saxon roots, the United Sates and Australia share numerous ideological and cultural similarities. During and since the Second World War, Australia has remained one of the United States strongest political, economic and military allies in the Asia-Pacific2. This long-term relationship was strengthened during the Cold War period, during which time the United States entered into strategic military pacts with Australia and neighboring countries. These pacts were largely meant to contain expansion of the Soviet Union’s military into the Asia-Pacific as such a move could be a stepping stone for the Soviet’s entry into the Americas from the West. Accordingly, Australia has in numerous ways offered unstinting support to every war fought by the United States in the last sixty years. Moreover, Australia attributes the peace prevailing in the southern Pacific to the stabilizing security provided by the US3. Such close ties between Australia and the United States have made China to be cautious of Australia’s strategic orientation. Although Australia and China have no conflicts of interest and do not pose direct threats to each other, Australia still considers China a potential threat to its security interests. Furthermore, China is suspicious of Australia’s position in the United States military expansion into the region. China is equally worried about how Australia will react to a possible conflicts of interests between the US and China. Undoubtedly, China understands that any future Sino-American conflicts will draw Australia’s attitude, although Australia strongly maintains that it will, in its relations with the United States, act as an independent state with independent security and foreign relations policies4. Much as Australia asserts the independence of its strategic military policies, it is necessary to investigate how the Australian factor in America’s military maneuvers affects China, both militarily and geo-strategically. According to Ken5, Australia is very much aware of the fact that the future of its strategic position in the region depends on the distribution of political, military and economic power in the region. In particular, the transformation of major power relations especially the hegemonic rise of China and its political and military relations with the US will be a major issue of concern for Australia’s strategic outlook. From the economic perspective, China is the Australia’s number one trade partner, followed by the United States and the European Union. Since 1990, Australia’s economy has been closely tied to the strategic relationship with China. In fact, Australia enjoys a strong export market for coal, gold and many other resources mainly because of China’s rapid economic growth and demand for resources. Nevertheless, substantial divides exist between the two countries in political systems. Such gaps have widened dramatically in the recent past, in the wake of America’s military and economic expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. Goh 6has critiqued that there are important reasons why the Australian factor will be crucial in America’s military expansion in the Asia-Pacific. One of these reasons is that Australia is the world’s largest country by sea size. As such, freedom of the sea is of paramount importance to Australia’s security and economy. With huge reserves of natural resources, Australia only lacks water and population-vulnerabilities that have rendered Australia a comparatively weak power economically, politically and militarily. Geologically, Australia is positioned where the Indian Ocean meets the Western Pacific. Australia’s northwestern coastal line nearly touches the Indian Ocean, beyond which is the South China Sea, which is claimed by several regional countries7. Therefore, if the United States expands its military presence in Australia, it will gain an extra forward base, which will facilitate logistics in the event of a conflict over the sovereignty of the South China Sea. Moreover, unlike the US bases in Guam and Japan, Australia lies outside the range of most of China’s missiles. The Australian base will not only help facilitate operations of US forces in the South China Sea but will also play a critical role in Indian Ocean conflicts. Australia’s inland depth, strategic location and natural affinity with the US make it a natural ally of the United States. In an event that conflicts erupt between the United States and China over sovereignty claims in Asia Pacific, China’s trade with Australia, the US and Japan will shrink dramatically. The US will obviously attempt to cut China’s trade with the outside world by choking the important straits which connect China to the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa and Europe8. Although Australia has not made clear its position in the possible US-China conflicts in the Asia-Pacific, Australia has consistently expressed its concerns about China’s expansion. When the US announced that it would bolster its military presence in Australia, the Australian government reaffirmed the declaration by the US and said that the two nations would commit themselves to even closer cooperation in the air, sea, space and cyber domains. Accordingly, Australia will, in the long-term interest, allow increased US military installations in its territory9. What an Increased American Military Presence in Australia Will Mean for Australia? It is now clear that America’s interests in Australia as a long-term host of US forces and military facilities, and the fact that authorities in Australia are favorable towards the idea is on record10. In fact, Australia and the United States are jointly considering various forms of military access, supply support, rotational presence and training in various parts of Australia mainland and offshore bases in the northern parts11. Essentially, there are two options for increasing the stronghold of American military in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region at large. The first option is through permanent establishment of American military bases in the country. The second option is though long term agreements that allow access to Australia’s military facilitates12. The second option will allow US warships, aircrafts and personnel to be deployed in a wide range of temporary operations in the neighboring regions and hence encounter potential threats and military confrontations between neighboring countries13. Political and strategic policy analysts have voiced concerns that any basing of American warships in the region will cause problems for future Australian governments. If America commits its forces to activities that Australia judges not to be in its own interest, Australia will be obliged to make contributions to those operations14. For instance, in the event that America launches operations against Chinese interests, this will automatically mean that Australia fights alongside the US. In any event, Australia has for a long time been host to joint Australian-American military facilitates, which are to a great extent an important part of American intelligence gathering as well as command and control networks. As such, any American operations in Asia-Pacific will rely on those facilities and this will naturally commit Australia into being a target for any adversary for that reason15. It should, however, be acknowledge that at the time of hosting some of the earlier joint Australian-American facilities, Australia did not take sides between Australia and China since the central element of adversary was between America and the Soviet Union. By siding with America, Australia hoped to gain significant security benefits with minimum downside risks. With time, the calculus have changed and the potential downsides re higher than was the case during the Cold War era16. Nevertheless, Australia’s strategic defense and security concerns remain firmly committed to Australia-American alliance because this presents a deep identification with the larger NATO alliance. For this reason, a major policy challenge for Australia is to balance between the positives that would accrue with the increased US military presence in the country against the potential downsides of such a destabilizing initiative by the United States. In particular, the Australian government should consider the implications of its military alliance vis-à-vis Australia’s strategic economic relations with China, which is the main target of America’s increased military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. Political Effects on the Wider Asia-Pacific Region The decision by the United States to establish permanent or temporary military bases in Australia’s northern and northwestern regions, which are closer to the Indian Ocean and East Asia can have four political impacts on the region. First, the decision will significantly deter conflicts in the region by communicating United States commitment and capability to the countries whose actions threaten US interests and allies in the region17. In addition, the decision to deploy US troops will deter possible conflicts between regional countries by reminding them that it will act as a buffer between rivals as it did during the conflict between China and Taiwan18. Secondly, the presence of US troops in Australia on a long term plan will assure the Unite States regional allies that they are fully protected against possible attack. In fact, the plan is part of the wider US strategic policy to protect vulnerable regional allies such as South Korea and Japan against possible attacks by either North Korea or China. The assurance by the United States will significantly prevent arms races in the Asia pacific region (as is currently witnessed between China and India), dampen militarism ambitions and forestall proliferations. Assurance has in the past worked by forestalling proliferation in Taiwan. Taiwan’s close military cooperation with the US has made it unnecessary for the former to procure nuclear weaponry19. The third possible effect of US military’s presence in Australia is that it will bolster the United States diplomatic influence. Regional allies’ over-reliance on the US to deter threats, as well as, the positive effect derived from deterrence can be channeled into diplomatic negotiations20. This will make it easy for regional allies to enter into favorable trade and investment pacts with the United States, which will in turn boost economic growth and development. As an example, Japan’s impressive economic development after the Second World War is attributed to strong cooperation with the US. This is because Japan agreed to host US forces as part of the plan to contain Soviet expansion into the Western Pacific and in return the US opened its market for Japanese products. The same is true for South Korea and a number of other countries in the region such as New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand21. A final impact of the US military presence in the region is aid to its foreign policy initiatives and strategies. Although this effect is not linked directly to deterrence, it will signal improved relationships between regional allies and the United States. In particular, the United States would like to see regional allies take positions as a single geopolitical entity22. This will make it easier for the United States to reaffirm its military, political and economic supremacy in Asia Pacific besides curtailing possible hegemonic rise of China or any other country. In general, increasing US military presence in Australia, through permanent or temporary arrangements, will undoubtedly exacerbate sovereignty issues in the wider Asia-Pacific region and will potentially be politically controversial as has in the past been in the Philippines, Korea and Japan. Moreover, the likely rotational nature of American military presence in Australia will ameliorate these sovereignty concerns23. Future Security Environment in Asia-Pacific Despite the United States ambitions to bolster military presence throughout the expansive Asia-Pacific region, the underlying sources of conflicts such as sovereignty claims will persist for the foreseeable future24. Some of the sources of conflicts that will ensure that tension remains in the region despite huge US military presence include: historical animosity; ethnic ad religious tensions; territorial and border disputes and perceived inequitable distribution of resources between regional countries. While these underlying sources of tension will exist into the future, major tensions between traditional rivals will decrease with the US military presence and hence reduce the likelihood of military conflicts25. According to Bolkcom26, decreased military tensions between feuding states in the region such as China and Taiwan, North Korea and South Korea and India and Pakistan will, although to a limited extent lead to significant reduction in arms races in the region. As an example, close political and military ties between Taiwan and the United States has forced China to reduce the number of troops deployed facing Taiwan as well as naval deployments for the aim of attacking Taiwan. Similar measures by the US forced Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon after 22 years of military occupation (it is important to note that Lebanon and Syria are in the Middle East and not in Asia-Pacific but the security scenario presented in this case are fairly similar). However, unlike Europe during the cold war, American presence in the region will not develop regional security to the point of eliminating tensions fully. This is partly due to lack of many common borders between countries in Asia Pacific. While territories at sea are disputed, it is quite difficulty to fight over these territories unlike territories at the border. Worse still, historical animosities remain a major obstacle to overcome in attempts to develop meaningful security cooperation27. Conclusion As afar as its military position in the Asia-Pacific is concerned, the United States has in its intentions to increase military presence in Australia, declared that it will not respond to growing Chinese military and economic power by going subserviently into the good night. Instead, the United States is working on plans to build new diplomatic and military relationships throughout countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean. This will see the United States reinvigorate its military presence in the strategic Indian Ocean and Western Pacific regions. Obviously, such a move by the United States will raise concerns from various stakeholders, more especially regional countries. Already, the move has sparked a fierce arms race between the United States and China, which is emblematic of the US-Soviet relations during the Cold War era. The military competition between the two powers that has already ensued will present regional countries with two choices. Regional countries can either find their own ways through the changing power balance while remaining detached from the competition or they can strategically choose a side. As things stand now, Australia’s geographic position provides militarily strategic position from potential points of military confrontation between the United States and China. Nevertheless, the United States of increased regional defense and military engagement makes Australia a potential player in regional military moves. The fact that Australia sits on a cross road between Pacific and Indian oceans and lies within range of South East Asia, has made it an attractive location for US and by extension NATO forces. Moreover, Australia’s commitment to joint Australian-American military alliances means that Australia will not back China in any sovereignty claims or military confrontations with the US in the Asia Pacific region. Bibliography Armitage Richard, “Insights Into the World: China, the Emerging Power,” Daily Yomiuri, (August 14, 2005). Andrew Probyn and Nick Butterly, “Nation’s Military Moved West in Defence Plan,” West Australian, (22 June 2011). Christopher Bolkcom, “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program: Background, Status, and Issues,” CRS Report for Congress, RL 30563, (August 29, 2005). David Edelstein, “Managing Uncertainty: Beliefs About Intentions and the Rise of Great Powers,” Security Studies vol. 12, no. 1 (Autumn 2002), p. 1–40. David M. Edelstein, “American Images of a Rising China: Lessons From History and Theory,” in China in the American Political Imagination, ed. Carola McGiffert (Washington, D.C.: CSIS, 2003), pp. 6–15. Ellen Nakashima, “Vietnam, U.S. to Improve Intelligence, Military Ties,” Washington Post, (June 17, 2005, p. 1). Evan Medeiros, “The U.S. Global Defense Posture Review and Implications for the Security Architecture in the Asia-Pacific Region” (paper, Waldbr¨ohl Transatlantic Dialogue on Asian Security, Berlin, December 11, 2004). Evelyn Goh, “Meeting the China Challenge: The U.S. in Southeast Asian Regional Security Strategies,” Policy Studies, no. 16 (Washington, D.C.: East West Center, 2005). Evelyn, Goh, “Singapore and the United States: Cooperation on Transnational Security Threats” (paper, 26th Annual Pacific Symposium, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 8–10, 2005). Fergus Hanson, Australia and the World: Public Opinion and Foreign Policy. (Sydney: Lowy Institute for International Policy, 2011). John Pomfret, “Beijing Claims ‘Indisputable Sovereignty’ over South China Sea,” WashingtonPost, (31 July 2010). Ken, Allen, “China’s Foreign Military Relations: 2003–2004,” Chinese Military Update 2, no. 5 (December 2004): 2–4). Laura Meckler, “Obama, on Australia Visit, Says U.S. Will Expand Its Presence in Region,” Wall Street Journal, (17 November 2011). Michael D. Swaine, “China: Exploiting a Strategic Opening,” in Strategic Asia 2004–2005, eds. Ashley J. Tellis and Michael Wills (Seattle: National Bureau of Asian Research, 2004), pp. 67–01. Niall, Ferguson, The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Descent of the West (New York: Penguin Press, 2006), pp. 43-71. Nicole Gaouette, “Gates Says U.S. to Increase Asia Military Presence, Australia Defense Ties,” Bloomberg, (7 November 2010). Ploch, Lauren, Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa. (Congressional Research Service. July 28, 2009. 7-5700). Robert Holzer, “U.S. Military Braces for Massive Mission Review,” Defense News, (Washington, DC, August 29 - September 4, 1994, p. 3). Roy, Kamphausen, “U.S. National Defense Strategy and Implications for the Asia-Pacific” (paper, 2005 Pacific Symposium, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 9, 2005). Sam Bateman and Anthony Bergin, Sea Change: Advancing Australia’s Ocean Interests. (Barton: Australian Strategic Policy Institute, March 2009). Read More

Although Australia and China have no conflicts of interest and do not pose direct threats to each other, Australia still considers China a potential threat to its security interests. Furthermore, China is suspicious of Australia’s position in the United States military expansion into the region. China is equally worried about how Australia will react to a possible conflicts of interests between the US and China. Undoubtedly, China understands that any future Sino-American conflicts will draw Australia’s attitude, although Australia strongly maintains that it will, in its relations with the United States, act as an independent state with independent security and foreign relations policies4.

Much as Australia asserts the independence of its strategic military policies, it is necessary to investigate how the Australian factor in America’s military maneuvers affects China, both militarily and geo-strategically. According to Ken5, Australia is very much aware of the fact that the future of its strategic position in the region depends on the distribution of political, military and economic power in the region. In particular, the transformation of major power relations especially the hegemonic rise of China and its political and military relations with the US will be a major issue of concern for Australia’s strategic outlook.

From the economic perspective, China is the Australia’s number one trade partner, followed by the United States and the European Union. Since 1990, Australia’s economy has been closely tied to the strategic relationship with China. In fact, Australia enjoys a strong export market for coal, gold and many other resources mainly because of China’s rapid economic growth and demand for resources. Nevertheless, substantial divides exist between the two countries in political systems. Such gaps have widened dramatically in the recent past, in the wake of America’s military and economic expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.

Goh 6has critiqued that there are important reasons why the Australian factor will be crucial in America’s military expansion in the Asia-Pacific. One of these reasons is that Australia is the world’s largest country by sea size. As such, freedom of the sea is of paramount importance to Australia’s security and economy. With huge reserves of natural resources, Australia only lacks water and population-vulnerabilities that have rendered Australia a comparatively weak power economically, politically and militarily.

Geologically, Australia is positioned where the Indian Ocean meets the Western Pacific. Australia’s northwestern coastal line nearly touches the Indian Ocean, beyond which is the South China Sea, which is claimed by several regional countries7. Therefore, if the United States expands its military presence in Australia, it will gain an extra forward base, which will facilitate logistics in the event of a conflict over the sovereignty of the South China Sea. Moreover, unlike the US bases in Guam and Japan, Australia lies outside the range of most of China’s missiles.

The Australian base will not only help facilitate operations of US forces in the South China Sea but will also play a critical role in Indian Ocean conflicts. Australia’s inland depth, strategic location and natural affinity with the US make it a natural ally of the United States. In an event that conflicts erupt between the United States and China over sovereignty claims in Asia Pacific, China’s trade with Australia, the US and Japan will shrink dramatically. The US will obviously attempt to cut China’s trade with the outside world by choking the important straits which connect China to the Indian Ocean, Middle East, Africa and Europe8.

Although Australia has not made clear its position in the possible US-China conflicts in the Asia-Pacific, Australia has consistently expressed its concerns about China’s expansion. When the US announced that it would bolster its military presence in Australia, the Australian government reaffirmed the declaration by the US and said that the two nations would commit themselves to even closer cooperation in the air, sea, space and cyber domains.

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