As Delivered:
The Australian Perspective
Joel Fitzgibbon, Minister for Defence, Australia
Thank you very much John, as you indicated, this is my second year of participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue and I think that makes me well-qualified now to come to the conclusion that this is a very worthwhile event. The success of the event comes down to three basic things; the first is the work and the quality of your organisation; the second is the support you receive from the government of Singapore; and the third is the quality and the standing of the participants you are able to draw to the occasion each year.
For me, it is very timely this year, just short of a month since Australia released its 2009 Defence White Paper; the first Defence White Paper in almost 10 years. I believe all of you will agree that the world has changed somewhat substantially since then: the events of 11 September, and subsequent terror events in places like London, Madrid, Jakarta, Bali, and more recently Mumbai; the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; the acceleration of the nuclear aspirations of rogue states like Iran and North Korea; the growing prospects of weapons of mass destruction landing in the hands of non-state actors; the emergence of new technologies, space warfare, electronic warfare and cyber warfare; and most importantly, a huge shift in the global distribution of power, including here in our own region.
The Australian government has responded to that significant change by investing in defence at a level you would expect to ensure and guarantee that we are able to take care of Australia, its people, and their interests. A force capable of ensuring we can defend our continent in our interests over the course of the coming decades. Of course, despite all of this change there are also many constants, among them is the ongoing and important role the US will play in the region, the deepening engagement of the US in the region. The other is the need to constantly look for and develop new and better frameworks for the promotion and facilitation of dialogue, openness and transparency. Improving the architecture we all rely upon to discuss our common aspirations and differences must be a key focus for us all. That is why my prime minister has been promoting discussions about possible new models, as you heard from him at the dinner on Friday night. Australia does not claim to have all of the answers, but we are keen to promote the discussion, and we are keen to be involved in that discussion as we work together to promote new ideas.
In this session we have come to talk about defence diplomacy; last night at the dinner John cleverly made a reference to the word ‘fertiliser’. Secretary Gates and I instantly sought reassurance from one another that you were not talking about the easiest to procure and the cheapest form of growth accelerant. In my experience, it is that form of fertiliser that we do not need as we seek to progress our common interests. For me, the most effective form of defence diplomacy, and those who know me already know this; is that which is blunt, honest, and to the point. Sure, we must be appropriately sensitive to one another’s needs, challenges, and aspirations, but my view is that it is directness that achieves real progress. My views on these issues are largely formed through my experiences in the conflict in Afghanistan; 18 months ago, when I was first appointed to the position of defence minister in Australia, I discovered how much defence diplomacy can be a hindrance rather than a help in resolving the sorts of challenges we face together in places like Afghanistan. What also stood out for me was the absence of a diplomatic and political strategy, yet people seem to be reluctant to talk about it, and worse, reluctant to secure a consensus on how we should properly marry and resource the civil, military, and political efforts in that part of the world.
I am pleased to be able to say that that has largely changed, thanks largely to the straight talking and leadership shown by Secretary Gates and others who have been prepared to speak up. Unfortunately our work in Afghanistan is far from over, but it is not too early for all of us to take some lessons from the failure of the partners to equitably share the burden of the campaign, and to more robustly push towards common ground on the planning and operational front. These are lessons we can all learn from as we work together towards a stable, secure and prosperous Asia-Pacific region, and they are certainly lessons we can draw upon as we collectively deal with rogue states like North Korea and those recent nuclear tests.
Australia is fortunate in that it benefits from a wide range of positive bilateral defence relationships right throughout the Asia-Pacific region. This is no accident; we work hard at creating, maintaining and deepening those relationships. We do so because we see them as fundamental to our own security; they reduce threats, promote trust, and build an ability with our friends and partners to work together. A good example of our approach can be seen through the strong defence partnership between Australia and our nearest neighbour Indonesia. We share many of the same security challenges, including the threats of terrorism, natural disaster, and people smuggling. In recent years, our defence ties have matured with the ratification of the Lombok Treaty in 2008, and more recently the Joint Statement on Defence Cooperation, which was signed in January of this year. The signing of these arrangements and agreements has allowed us to further broaden and deepen our practical cooperation, and complement the strong government to government links that we have in other areas.
Australia’s alliance with the US is without doubt our most important defence relationship. The strength of our alliance enables us to enhance cooperation in many ways, for the benefit of the region. A good practical example of this is our current exploration of a combined humanitarian assistance in disaster relief capability. We both have an interest in a stable and secure Asia-Pacific region, and the Australia government welcomes the Obama Administration’s reaffirmation to be engaged here. At the same time, Australia recognises that China will have a greater influence on the future of the region and its security and stability.
Developing our bilateral defence relationship with China is a very high priority for the Australian government, as evidenced by the fact that we have upgraded our strategic dialogue representation to include the secretary of defence and the chief of the defence force. A deeper engagement with China will promote transparency and understanding about one another’s capabilities and one another’s intentions. Along with the US, China will have a growing impact on the future stability and security of the region, and the best way of ensuring stability and security is to build transparency and trust.
The re-emergence of a multi-polar world, and the convergence of the interests of China, India, Japan, Russia and the US, adds to the strategic complexity of our region over the coming years. Further, while the processes of globalisation will continue to deliver great benefits, they will also amplify dangers posed by a broad range of non-traditional security threats, from piracy to people smuggling, from climate change to cyber crime; the effects of these threats can only be aggravated by the global financial crisis. With this landscape in mind, the importance of strengthening our defence connections cannot be overstated, our capacity to work together will determine the extent to which we are able to mitigate their consequences.
Whether the threats to our regional security are traditional, non-traditional, or indeed both, the Australia government believes that strengthening defence dialogues and establishing strong defence relationships, is fundamental to ongoing security and stability across the region. In this Asia-Pacific century, and at this time of great change, regional dialogue is more important than ever. Key to maintaining regional security, stability, and prosperity will be the quality of our defence diplomacy and our relationships, as will be further developing personal relationships between counterparts. For me, that is the real value of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the opportunity to catch up with friends and partners, the opportunity to talk both formally and informally about how we can better work together to ensure that the changes of the 21st Century are managed in a way that provides positive outcomes for all of our neighbours, for all of us together. Thank you very much.
