Former Australian Diplomat
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The election of Joe Biden promises a return to a more orthodox American foreign policy. But former ambassador John McCarthy argues Biden needs to break with the past in one key respect – a more vigorous and smarter engagement with Southeast Asia.
Australia should learn from 19th century statecraft, says former ambassador John McCarthy, and practice some artful diplomacy in the coming months that balances our interests in securing a strong US, a stable region, and if possible a cooperatively engaged China.
With the polls pointing to a Joe Biden victory in the US presidential race, the stakes for Australia, and its interests in a stable Indo-Pacific, are high. Former ambassador to the United States and Asialink senior adviser, John McCarthy, breaks down some of the likely foreign policy trends under a Biden presidency and points to some key tests for Australia in managing a new administration in Washington.
Following the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) on 28 July, senior adviser to Asialink and former ambassador to Washington, John McCarthy, argues our strengthening alliance with the US does not preclude building closer relations with Asia, including a potential modus vivendi with China.
Late on Thursday, Scott Morrison joined Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the latest in a series of ‘virtual’ meetings with regional leaders. High on the agenda were the usual array of security challenges, set against the backdrop of Asia’s biggest foreign policy dilemma – how to manage the rise of China. As former ambassador John McCarthy notes, there are lessons to be gleaned from Tokyo’s handling of this most sensitive diplomatic problem.