Alliance Expanding: The Study Of The United States-Australia Alliance Relationship Early21st Century

The US-Australia alliance is an important part of American Asia-Pacific alliance system. Itwas founded when the World War Ⅱ just ended, having experienced more than60years andmany important wars, Australia has always been closely followwing the United States. TheUS-Australia alliance is still the key part of U.S.’ effort to maintain global hegemony. WhenEntered into the twenty-first Century, the US-Australia alliance insteading of “sinking”following the collaps of the Soviet Union and the disappearance of the object against，it has get anew development. Especially under the background of U.S.’s implementation of the “Pivot toAsia-Pacific”, the US-Australia alliance has been continuously strengthened and expanded invarious fields. What’s the concrete expression of this phenomenon？What’s the reason of thisphenomenon？ What’s the alliance dilemma between The United States and Australia? WithChina’s rise, there is unavoidable reality that the United States will have a strategic hedge withChina. What’s the function of the US-Australia alliance in the strategy of U.S.’s attempt to curbChina? How does China to respond? This article is the study of the above questions.The chapter one makes a historical review of the US-Australia alliance firstly. Theestablishment of diplomatic ties between the United States and Australia arising from deepfriendship built during the World War Ⅱ. The reason of U.S. and Australia allied is that U.S.needed to re-armed Japan in order to confront the Soviet and China, and The Australia needed tobe protected by the the United States. This chapter also illuminates the close cooperationbetween the United States and Australia in the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Afghanistanwar and the Iraq war. This chapter focuses on the historical background of the US-Australiaalliance’ expansion this century—“Pivot to Asia-Pacific”. American covet Australian importantstrategic position and loyalty to the United States. The America is consolidating and strengthening the security cooperation with Australia, because it can reduce American burdenand strengthen the strategic foundation of “Pivot to Asia-Pacific”. The US Marine garrisonedDarwin and became landmark event of “Pivot to Asia-Pacific”, while Australia hope Americacontinuing engagement and presence in Asia-Pacific to avoid regional structure and form bechanged.The chapter two introduces the expansion of the US-Australia alliance’s connotation. Thereare five aspects including arms cooperation, information cooperation, space cooperation,cyberspace security cooperation and counter-terrorism cooperation. In recent years the UnitedStates and Australia have been continuing to carry out cooperation in defense trade andarmament, mainly Australian arms procurement from America and American technology transferto Australia. In the field of intelligence cooperation, Australia play a unique role in Americanglobal intelligence reconnaissance collection system by virtue of Australian geographicaladvantage and well-functioning information system. American also continues to provideAustralia abundant information resources which cannot be obtain by Australia alone. As the newcooperation field of the US-Australia Alliance—space cooperation and cyberspace securitycooperation，gradually become a new bright spot in recent years. The United States and Australiacooperate in space with highly starting point, clear function, very strong security color, and alsoto the trend of the development of multilateral cooperation. In the field of cyberspace security,the United States and Australia have realized the institutionalization of cyberspace securitycooperation through AUSMIN, and have put the cyberspace space defense into ANZUS.Recently with the rise of the “Islamic State”, the United States and Australia cooperate againstterrorism once again.The chapter three analyzes the expansion of the US-Australia alliance’s view. In recentyears, as to the northeast asian geopolitical tensions increasing, the southeast asian regionalcooperation reinforce and the strategic status of the South Pacific region rising, the US-Australiaalliance vision gradually expanded to the these area. The United States and Australia activelyparticipate in various political initiatives and economic integration mechanism, and they are alsoconcerned on the security situation of the Korean Peninsula. In Southeast Asia, the United Statesand Australia are actively developing political and military relations with Philippines, Indonesia,Singapore and Vietnam, and they also rely on the US-Australia alliance continuously involving in the South China Sea affairs. In the south pacific, with the platform of the “PacificCommunity” and “the Pacific Islands Forum”, the United States and Australia exert influence onthis region mainly through providing economic, technical assistance, and political, militarypersonnel training.The chapter four illustrates the expansion of the US-Australia alliance’s partners. In recentyears the US-Australia alliance is continuing to strengthen the ties and strategic interaction withJapan, ASEAN and India. Though the America, Australia, Japan frequently interact and mutuallysupport, and will further enhance the relationship among them, strengthen coordination ininternational and regional issues, but US-Australia alliance will not develop into theUS-Australia-Japan trilateral alliance in a short time. Between the relationship of theUS-Australia alliance and ASEAN, considering that Australia can play a special role in theaspect of US developing economic and defense ties with ASEAN, US attempts to make use ofASEAN through the US-Australia alliance to contain China and put “Pivot to Asia-Pacific”strategy into practice. The US-Australia alliance and India mutually cooperate and each takewhat he needs in the “Indo-Pacific” geopolitical framework, but India will not support theUS-Australia alliance’s Indo-Pacific security architecture without reservation.The chapter five introduces the alliance mechanism of The US-Australia alliance and theexpansion of The US-Australia alliance’s function. After entering the21st century, the UnitedStates and Australia continue to deep the existing alliance mechanism, at the same timecontinually expand new alliance mechanism in the bilateral or multilateral framework to providesolid institutional guarantee for further reinforcement of the US-Australia alliance relationship.Such as AUSMIN, AUSFTA, TPP, TISA and some bilateral or multilateral military exercisesmechanism. The US-Australia alliance has very important cornerstone function, channel function,support function and complementary function for the United States of America, and it is strongsupport for America to implement its Asia-Pacific and global strategy.The chapter six analyzes the dilemma faced by the US-Australia alliance. The dilemmafaced by the US-Australia alliance mainly come from three aspects. The first dilemma is causedby the China’s rise. With the China’s strong rise, the situation of Sino-US intensifyingcompetition and China-Australia close economic and trade cooperation, which makes Australiafaces dilemma in dealing with the US-Australia alliance and its relations with China, Australia found himself increasingly difficult to keep its China policy consistent with America’s in theframework of the US-Australia alliance. The second dilemma is caused by US power relativelydeclining and strategic attention shift. Affected by the impact of fiscal austerity and militaryspending reducing, the ability of the U.S. that continue to intervene in Asia-Pacific is limited, soAustralia’s confidence in the United States is shaking. In addition, because of Ukraine issue,“Islamic state”, and people in the United States tired of involving in the various conflict, since2014the America’s strategic attention has a tendency of transferring toward Europe and thedomestic. The situation above conflict with Australia’s expectation that US continue to focus onthe Asia-Pacific region, and if America was forced to withdraw from the Asia-Pacific region,Australia will face the situation that hollow phenomenon will appear in the US-Australia alliance,and Australia will have no strategic support in the Asia-Pacific. The third dilemma is caused bythe situation that Australia’s independent consciousness enhance. From the perspective ofalliance value system, the US-Australia alliance has never been balanced benefit. TheUS-Australia alliance is a typical asymmetric alliance, although U.S. and Australia are allies, butconflict of the control and anti-control is always the norm of the alliance. There has long beenobvious contradiction in Australia’s security policy that both benefiting from“powerprotection”and often showing strong pursuit of independence on its own defense and foreignpolicy, and enhancing of the independent consciousness will bring crisis to the balance of powerexisting in the US-Australia alliance system.The chapter seven introduces what should China do to deal with the US-Australia alliance.The acting point of China coping with the US-Australia alliance is Australia. The generalprinciple of China’s response is that, facing the military threat, China should avoid the edge, andcomprehensively use of economic, diplomatic and moderate military deterrence means tocountervail, in order to weaken the impact of the alliance. Firstly, China should seize Australia inthe economic field, and continually deep Australia’s economic dependence. Secondly, Chinashould actively promote or participate in bilateral or multilateral trade mechanism, such as“TPP”,“China-Australia Free Trade Agreement”,“RCEP” et al, and strengthen cooperation inthe field of energy, resources and tourism. Thirdly, China should strengthen personnel exchangesand cultural communication, and multi channels, high-level political consultation mechanismbetween China and Australia, so as to enhance mutual trust, deepen understanding, and reduce Australia’s strategic mistrust of China. The last is to strengthen military exchanges such as jointmilitary exercise and warships visits, at the same time do moderate force deterrence but do notintensify contradictions.The conclusion part points out the correct attitude towards the US-Australia alliance, andforecasts development trend of the US-Australia alliance in the future. That is the connotation ofthe US-Australia alliance will continue to be enriched, the number of the alliance mechanismwill continue to increase, alliance view will expand to larger regional, alliance function will begeneralized, the number of the alliance partners will also increase, and the the US-Australiaalliance also exist possibility of developing into a multilateral alliance. The US-Australia alliancecertainly will change from military alliance into strategic alliance, from “military alone” into“comprehensive development”, and ultimately evolve from simple, military organization intoinstitutionalized, comprehensive, political, economic and military organization.