RMIT experts are available for comment on Australia’s strategic alliances

Dr Emma Shortis (0430 358 798 or emma.shortis@rmit.edu.au)

Topics: US history, US politics, Trump administration

“In a recent Lowy Institute Poll, 78% of Australians surveyed said they thought that our alliance with the United States was very, or at least fairly, important to Australia's security --up six points from last year.

“Australians clearly value our relationship with the US, despite our high levels of disapproval of the current President. Our own Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, doesn't seem to share our concerns.

“When President Trump extended an invitation to Australia to join an expanded G7 meeting later this year, Australia immediately accepted. Unlike Canada and the United Kingdom, the possible inclusion of Russia in the group was no deterrence for us.

“The Australian government has made it abundantly clear that our priorities lie with the US. Those feelings, however, may not be reciprocated.

“Trump's former National Security Advisor John Bolton recently claimed that the current President isn't focused on us much at all: "I think the alliances with Japan, South Korea, Australia are question marks at this point...If you believe the world's far away, then why have these alliances at all?"

“If it is true that we are a mere 'question mark' to the current President, we must question why the Australian government continues to support his administration so wholeheartedly.

“In the face of the administration's incompetent response to the worst global pandemic in a century, its gross human rights abuses at home and support for them abroad, questions about the strength of the democratic process in the lead up to the November elections, as well as Trump's complete disregard for the stability of the global economy, Australians would do well to stay--in the words of John Bolton--very far away indeed.” 

Dr Emma Shortis is a Research Officer at the EU Centre in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. She recently returned from a year in the United States, where she was a Fox-Zucker International Fellow at Yale University as part of her PhD in history. Shortis is regular media commentator on the history and current politics of the US, tailored for an Asia-Pacific audience.

Australia-EU relations

Professor Bruce Wilson (0414 236 765 or bruce.wilson@rmit.edu.au)  

Topics: EU summit, EU affairs, Brexit 

“As Europe has gone back to work, so have Australian manufacturers. This is very important for Australians now looking to see the economy moving again. The EU is Australia’s third largest market for goods, and second last for services.

“Research scientists in both parts of the world are also collaborating in the challenge of understanding the virus and developing a vaccine. This kind of collaboration is part of a growing picture of connectedness between the two parts of the world, all enhanced by a treaty-level agreement signed in 2017.

“Security, crisis response, education and research and of course, trade, are all areas where the EU and Australia have a lot in common. At the heart of the relationship is a very strong commitment to seeing global affairs managed according to a rules-based order.

“The EU’s single market could become even more important for Australia, with a trade agreement currently being negotiated potentially seeing final agreement in place by 2021, if not even by Christmas.

Australia-UK relations

“Since the commencement of EU-Australia negotiations, the United Kingdom (UK) has left the EU requiring them to develop their own trade agreements with key partners across the globe.

“Of course, before the UK joined, it was Australia’s most important trading partner by far. In June 2020, the UK and Australia announced that they would commence negotiations for a new trade partnership. This will look dramatically different from the past relationship but would still be very important for both sides

“Some have queried how the one agreement will affect the other. There is unlikely to be much interference as the EU-Australia process is so advanced, but it won’t surprise if the UK-Australian negotiations proceed quite quickly. Perhaps some very similar text will end up in both agreements.

“Either way, both agreements will send clear messages, not only about the commitment of both Australia and the EU to safe and rules-based trade.

“Australian producers have much to gain from extending exports to Europe, as it’s a market worth more than A$18 trillion. Of course, the UK is familiar territory with shared language and similar legal systems, so that also will be good news for many.”

Brexit

“After lengthy delays, the UK and EU Brexit negotiators have restarted intense face-to-face negotiations, which will rotate between Brussels and London over the next five weeks.

“This is widely regarded as the last chance for the UK to secure a deal that will permit an orderly exit from the EU Single Market at the end of December 2020.

“If no deal is achieved, the UK and EU will trade under WTO rules, which will have significant implications for the trade agreements which Australia might reach with both the EU and the UK.”

Professor Bruce Wilson is the Director of the EU Centre in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University. Professor Wilson is an expert on European Union affairs with 20 years’ experience and a regular media commentator on the topic.

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