The Australian 'Middle Power Diplomacy'-Focusing On Foreign Policies Of The Rudd Government

Since The Statutes of Westminster became effective in 1931, Australia began its process of an independent diplomacy. The Second World War brought a chance to Australians to generate affection upon 'Middle Power Man-Ship', and the 60-year-long diplomatic practices developed Australian 'Middle Power Diplomacy', which has three symbolic traditions: 'nationalism', 'internationalism' and 'activism'. The experienced China hand Kevin Rudd, who was elected Premier Minister of Australia in 2007, is committing his government to the 'Creative Middle Power Diplomacy' through initiatives. In China, there are both few researches and literatures either on 'Middle Power' theories and 'Middle Power Diplomacy', or on Australian Foreign Policies. Considering the above, this thesis defines three aspects of research tasks, and reviews the Australian 'Middle Power Diplomacy' in five chapters. And it has a focus on the 'Creative Middle Power Diplomacy' of the Rudd government.Chapter One explains the purpose and significance of the study, summarizes related literatures, and presents the research methods and framework of the study.Chapter Two reviews and analyses the development of 'Middle Power' theories; then, it discusses and concludes the characteristics of 'Middle Power Diplomacy'.Chapter Three comprehensively discusses the Australian 'Middle Power Diplomacy', with a time range covering from 1941 to 2007. It mainly answers three questions: Why Australia requires its 'Middle Power Man-Ship'? How does the Australian 'Middle Power Diplomacy' develop? What are its characteristics?Chapter Four contains the core innovation of research. It analyses the reasons why the Rudd government revives the 'Middle Power Diplomacy'. Then, it sums up the series of initiatives carried out by the Rudd government to enforce the 'Creative Middle Power Diplomacy'. It finally argues that US-Australian alliance restricts the independence of Australian diplomacy, within which there is a structural problem, the rival between two primary variables: 'security via alliance politics' or 'influence via regional engagement'. Restricted by this intrinsic problem, the cruel power politics competition in Asia-Pacific region and the inferior strength of Australian influence, Kevin Rudd's foreign policies are facing dilemma.Chapter Five concludes major findings and presents a brief expectation upon the Sino-Australian relations in the Rudd times.