Steadying the US rebalance to Asia: the role of Australia, Japan and South Korea

摘要

This paper seeks to clear up the uncertainty surrounding US hopes and wishes of allies in Asia, and to provide Australia with a fuller picture of the opportunities and challenges in our strategic alliance with the US.OverviewGiven China’s rise and Asia’s economic ascent, military growth and increasing trade flows, the US ‘pivot to Asia’ reflects an appropriate policy response to changing global realities. The pivot (now called a ‘rebalance’) implies a shift in US attention and resources in the military, diplomatic and economic spheres from the Middle East and Europe towards Asia.This paper seeks to clear up the uncertainty surrounding US hopes and wishes of allies and to provide Australia with a fuller picture of the opportunities and challenges in our strategic alliance with the US.Of the several US allies in Asia, this paper focuses on three: Japan, Australia and South Korea. The paper considers how have they supported the US rebalance to date and what additional contributions the US would like to see from them. Where Australia is concerned, it considers whether it is in our interests to further support the rebalance, and our ability to provide additional backing.