Table of contents

Paperback edition of an introductory survey designed for tertiary students of politics, international relations, history and economics. Addresses domestic interests and processes that shape foreign policy and also global, regional and bilateral issues. Includes references and index. The contributors are academics in fields such as history, political science and international studies. The editor is an associate professor in the School of Political Science at the University of NSW. His other publications include 'Australia in a Changing World'.

Australia on the World Stage: History, Politics, and International Relations offers a fresh examination of Australia’s past and present. From the complex interactions of First Nations to modern international relations with significant partners and allies, it examines the forces that have influenced the place now called Australia both historically and today. It is a unique history told in two parts. The first half of the book examines the way Australia acted on the world stage both before and after British colonisation. It outlines the evolution of Australia’s relationship with the United Kingdom, first as colonies, then a dominion, and finally as an independent nation. It finishes with a First Nations perspective on foreign relations. The second half of the book provides a wide-ranging history of Australia’s dealings with major powers, the United States and China, as well as its relationships with New Zealand, Aotearoa, the Pacific Islands, Indonesia, Japan, Antarctica, and the United Nations. Written by leading and emerging researchers in their fields, this book encourages the reader to consider Australia’s performance on the world stage over the longue durée, well before the word ‘Australia’ was ever dreamt up. This interdisciplinary work challenges lazy stereotypes that see Australia's international history as fixed and uncontested. In revisiting Australia’s foreign relations, this work also asks the reader to consider its future directions.

‘honest, and provides a framework against which to judge foreign policy actions and achievements’ Cameron Forbes, Age ‘It will stand for the thoughtful Asian as the major document of Australia’s credentials for regional partnership . . . a dossier of almost everything you need to know about contemporary Australian foreign policy.’ Professor Stephen Fitzgerald, Director, Asia–Australia Institute Australia’s Foreign Relations is the most rigorous, lively and comprehensive ‘insider’ account ever written about the shape and direction of Australian foreign policy. This thoroughly revised edition keeps it fully abreast of a changing world. This book is indispensable for anyone who follows current affairs. Its contents range from a concise analysis of the practice and politics of making foreign policy—what it is that diplomats and foreign ministers do—to the exploration of Australia’s relationships, as a middle power, with all regions of the world. Among the many subjects covered is the new internationalist agenda, from human rights and global environmental issues to arms control. Australia’s Foreign Relations will be equally valuable for students of politics, history, international relations and economics—for, as the authors stress, foreign policy and Australia’s economic fortunes are now inextricably linked.

How does Australia's unique geographical, cultural and historical position influence its approach to foreign policy? What key challenges does Australia face on the world stage, and how can it overcome them? Reflecting the messy reality of foreign policy decision-making, this book helps you to understand the changes and continuities in Australia's approach. For example, does the US withdrawal from Vietnam in 1973 and collapse of South Vietnam continue to cast a shadow over Australian foreign policy, or is it relevant only in understanding the dynamics of the cold war? Using an Australian Strategic Culture framework, O'Keefe sheds light on the characteristics that make Australia behave in a way different to any other country and equips you with analytic skills to understand the main debates, such as: - In what sense could Australia be seen as a 'good' international citizen? - Have national interests trumped global responsibilities? - How does the intersection between civil society and public opinion interact with foreign policy making? This book is essential reading if you are a student of Australian foreign policy, as well as of broader Australian domestic politics and international relations.

AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN RELATIONS: ENTERING THE 21ST CENTURY aims to present the reader with an introduction to Australian foreign relations, focusing in particular on those contemporary relationships that are most important to Australia. Rather than organising the chapters on the basis of the issues that are most important in the conduct of Australian foreign policy, the book examines the key issues in the context of how they have featured in terms of Australia's most important international relationships. AUSTRALIAN FOREIGN RELATIONS asks how the 'history versus geography' debate, which is a continuing theme in the history of Australian foreign relations, is relevant in the current climate of international relations and foreign policy formulation.

Examines how Australia's two dominant external relationships have evolved from 1788 to 1987.