19. Chinese and Australian attitudes towards regionalism - with He Baogang

The term ‘Indo-Pacific’ is increasingly used by Australian academics and policymakers to describe the region in which Australia is located. It is often argued that with China’s – and Asia’s – growing economic importance to Australia, the country faces an identity crisis as it comes to terms with its geographical position, as well as its historical status as a British colony and current role as an ally of the United States. How has Australia responded to China’s rise? What are Australian attitudes towards Asian regionalism, and how do they compare with China’s? Might Australia become a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)? How likely is the formation of a quadrilateral security arrangement (‘Quad’) with the US, Japan and India? He Baogang, Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in International Relations at Deakin University, joins Bob Carr, Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney, to discuss Chinese and Australian approaches to Asian regionalism, and the need for innovative Asia policy.