New US ambassador here to ‘translate Trump’

New US ambassador, Arthur B. Culvahouse, has a harder job than his predecessors in attempting to “translate Trump’’.

Arthur B. Culvahouse, the new US ambassador to Australia, in Washington. Picture: Allison Shelley

Incoming US ambassador to Australia Arthur B. Culvahouse has a harder job ahead of him than his predecessors in attempting to “translate Trump” to sceptical Australian audiences and moving to “stiffen the Australian spine on China”, experts say.

Mr Culvahouse, 70, will begin his term in Australia today after presenting his credentials to the Governor-General, Peter Cosgrove.

US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policies have concerned Australian officials and impacted on the view of the US ­alliance among policy elites.

Mr Trump’s more recent contradictory statements about banning Chinese technology from US systems and his sudden ­announcements about pulling troops out of the Middle East have also caused consternation in Canberra.

Charles Edel, a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre and former adviser to US secretary of state John Kerry, said the ambassador’s first challenge would be reassuring “a concerned Australian audience” that Washington remains committed to the alliance and to the region.

Former associate secretary at the Department of Defence, Brendan Sergeant, agreed, saying Mr Culvahouse had the job of managing “Trump’s disruptions”.

“I actually think he has a hard job,” Mr Sergeant said.

James Curran, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, said Mr Culvahouse would also be charged with reassuring Australian officials about US policy in Asia amid Mr Trump’s complaints about the cost of the US military presence in South Korea.

“He has to try to ­relieve the stress in the Australian body politic about what Trump means for Asia,” he said.

Professor Curran said Mr Culvahouse was also likely tasked by Washington with hardening Australia’s stance on China further.

Canberra is yet to commit to freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, nor to Washington’s commercial campaign against China on trade and technology.

“One rather gets the impression he would like to stiffen the Australian spine on China,” Professor Curran said.

“This ambassador will note that … we’re not signing up to the US ‘cold war’ in Asia.”

Simon Jackman, chief executive at the United States Studies Centre, disagreed, saying Washington “understood” Australia’s position on those matters.

But Professor Jackman said Mr Culvahouse could have to manage possible ­bilateral tensions sparked by the impact on Australian exports from any deal between the US and China on trade.

“Is there some sort of unexpected bad news for Australia in the US-China trade deal that really upsets some interests here, be it in agriculture, in energy, in some critical sector?” Professor Jackman questioned.

Executive director of the Lowy Institute, Michael Fullilove, said one challenge Mr Culvahouse faced was the increasing churn in Australian politics from political “spills”.

“Just as that retards Australian foreign policy, it retards the work of embassies and diplomats ­because there’s so much churn in the leaders’ offices and in the ­ministerial offices that it ­affects the development of long-term ­relationships,” Mr Fullilove said.

Mr Culvahouse replaces former ambassador John Berry, who left in September 2016.

The role has been filled by charge d’affaires James Carouso, who has been held in high regard by both sides of politics.