Australia ‘struggling’ with new world order, former envoy says

Australia is “struggling” to find its place in a new world order that is seeing a more assertive China.

Former ambassador to China Geoff Raby in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Australia is “struggling” to find its place in a new world order that is seeing a more assertive China and more isolationist US, former Australia ambassador to China Geoff Raby told Chinese TV.

“Australia is trying to find its position in this new world order between the security relationship with the US and its deep economic relationship with China,” he said in an interview at the weekend with the China Global Television Network.

Asked the reason behind the current strains in Australia’s relationship with China, Mr Raby said they had to be seen against the bigger picture of a changing world order. “That picture is really the rise of China … China adopting a more assertive, more muscular policy and (the election of) President (Donald) Trump. A new global order. Australia has struggled to find its place in that order.”

He said Australia’s policy on China was “increasingly being run by intelligence, defence and security” advisers. “A lot of it has got to do with how the US has started to vacate regional leadership,” he said.

“The defence, security and intelligence establishment is saying ‘We have to fill a void’. We are struggling to find how to position ourselves in the new world order.”

He described Malcolm Turnbull’s recent speech to the University of NSW on Australia’s relationship with China as “an act of a statesman” to reset strained relations with China and adopting a more “realist” foreign policy.

“It was about repositioning to understand the world order has changed,” he said of the speech. “Either we are involved and influence it in a positive direction, or we stand apart.”

Mr Raby said the Prime Minister thought he was “being clever” in quoting China’s late Chairman Mao during the Bennelong by-election to justify the federal government’s need for tighter security legislation. Mr Turnbull said Australia’s move to impose new security legislation was a sign Australia was standing up for itself, quoting Chairman Mao’s comments that it was important that China stand up for itself.

The remarks astounded the Chinese leadership, with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying it had “poisoned the atmosphere of China-Australian relations”.

They also strongly implied that Chinese influence was the reason behind the government’s move to pass the new legislation.

“He did not understand how this would cause offence in China,” Mr Raby said “I don’t think he meant to cause offence. I don’t think it was a deliberate thing.”