A Study On The Development Of Security Institutions In Southeast Asia After The Second World War And The Evolution Of Australian Regional Security Policy

Since the end of the Second World War,Australia has been actively seeking to interfere in Southeast Asian affairs.Compared to other regions of the world,as a "near north",Southeast Asia has always been the focus of Australia's security policy.Australia continually adjusts security policy of Southeast Asia to meet its security interest appropriately in last seventy years.This research considers that since the end of the Second World War,the changes of security situation in Southeast Asia,especially the establishment and development of the security institutions in Southeast Asia,have had a tremendous impact on Australia's Southeast Asian security policy.In the early days after the Second World War,the Security situation in the region was turbulent for a long time due to the fact that Southeast Asia was full of great powers interfere,ethnic conflicts,and internal conflicts.In the absence of an effective regional security institutions to control inter-regional state relations,combined with the regional security situation,Australia believes that such Southeast Asia poses a great threat to the survival and development of Australian.In the face of"threat",Australia has established a "defense policy" that relies on the strength of great powers and regional collective security organizations from its own security interest.After the 1970s,the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union has gradually eased,disputes among Southeast Asian countries weakened,and regional cooperation organizations were established to promote regional economic and social development.The initial construction of the regional security institutions has prompted changes in the regional security situation.It replaced the"defense policy" that responds to threats with the "regional engagement" Policy,emphasized more on Australian self-reliance in regional security and developing contacts with Southeast Asian countries to mitigate risks.After the Cold War,the international situation has undergone tremendous changes and ideological opposition has ceased.Particularly,the establishment of ASEAN-centered regional security institutions and cross-regional security cooperation platform have laid the foundation for maintaining regional security and stability.Since the 1980s,Southeast Asian countries have witnessed rapid economic and social development and the intersection of security interests between Australia and South East Asia has gradually increased.In response to the security problems posed by the new international security situation after the Cold War,Australia regards Southeast Asia as a security partners and vigorously develop and deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Southeast Asia to jointly safeguard the security and stability of Southeast Asia.Since the first decade of the 21st century,with the increase of the security interaction between Australia and Southeast Asia,Australia has gradually recognized and integrated itself into the security institutions of Southeast Asia.In Australia's opinion,its national security is inseparable from the security of its surrounding areas.The establishment of a new rule-based regional security order by all countries in the region will ensure long-term stability in Southeast Asia.Through the development of institutionalized cooperation,Australia has begun to view Southeast Asia as a member of the"community" and hopes to form a "security community" with the countries in Southeast Asia to achieve the security goals of Australia in the "Indo-Pacific" strategy.Above all,changes of the security system in South-East Asia after World War ? have affected Australia's perceptions to Southeast Asia,and this judgment and understanding eventually prompted it to adjust its security policies in Southeast Asia.