Australia is a treaty ally of the United States, and an important partner on economic and security affairs. It has stood by the U.S. in every major conflict of the last 100 years.
How did Australia rank in the Index of Economic Freedom this year? Click here to find out. Read More.
The clarity Australia has provided with Force 2030 should serve as both a warning and a guidepost for America's future commitments to the region. Read More.
Visiting the land down under just became easier for a number of American travelers. On November 1, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service announced a trial program extending Australia’s SmartGate program to U.S. Global Entry members. The announcement marked a step in the right direction in creating a trusted…
Abstract The Administration has indicated that it plans to “pivot” America’s security focus to Asia. The Administration’s plans to downsize the U.S. military, however, can only mean a reduced U.S. presence globally and greater strain on our forces and equipment wherever they are deployed. Allies like Australia are trying to understand the implications for the…
Maintaining the balance of power in the Pacific requires strong allies. And as Tony Abbott, the opposition leader in Australia’s Liberal Party (conservative in the American sense) noted last month in a remarkable speech at The Heritage Foundation, the U.S. has a particularly strong ally in Australia. Mr. Abbott identified an alliance based on shared values as much…
America’s Enduring Leadership in Asia America has been engaged in Asia since a few decades after securing its independence. Its early interest is documented in the 1833 Treaty on Amity and Commerce between the U.S. and the Kingdom of Siam Thailand), and later in the market-opening 1854 Treaty of Kanagawa with Japan. The U.S. has, in fact, been a “resident…
A Joint Project by Scholars from The Heritage Foundation, the Lowy Institute for International Policy, and the Observer Research Foundation Abstract: The U.S., Australia, and India face common challenges and opportunities in the Indo–Pacific region that are defined by their shared values and interests. These include sea-lane security, counterterrorism,…
China is rising in importance for Australia economically. What does this mean for security relations? Not what some people—including very influential, serious Australians—seem to think.[1] There is nothing about China’s economic rise that gives it effective leverage over Australian foreign and defense policy or that necessarily supplants American leadership in the…
The global financial crisis has had a major impact on perceptions of American power and its relationships in Asia. Many of the perceptions are not founded on facts. Among the facts often overlooked: American companies invest far more abroad than does all of Asia combined. For every dollar the U.S. has invested in China it has invested two in Australia…
Abstract: The ties that bind the U.S., Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and in different ways other nations that share some of the values of the Anglosphere are deeper and more abiding, says former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, than the bonds between any other countries with which his country has been associated. The English-speaking nations have…
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will cap off a seven-nation swing through Asia this weekend with a stop in Australia, where she will join Defense Secretary Robert Gates for annual ministerial consultations. The AUSMIN meetings, as they are known, come amid anxious discussions in Australia over the rise of China and the implications for the U.S.–Australia alliance.…
A guest on CNBC cites Austrailia's ranking in the Index of Economic Freedom as a major asset for the country.…
Abstract: Since the end of the Cold War, China has dramatically expanded its navy, especially its submarine fleet, adding dozens of attack submarines since 1995. During the same period, the U.S. attack submarine fleet has shrunk to 53, and it is projected to fall to 41 in 2028. The U.S. fleet is already stretched thin by the demands of ongoing operations. Australia,…
The United States is no less a Pacific nation than an Atlantic one. The state of Hawaii and the territories of Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa all lie in the Pacific. The United States has five treaty alliances in East Asia (Japan, Korea, Australia, the Philippines and Thailand), the Pacific Fleet, and major military bases throughout the region. It has…
Contracting out in defense is an important public and political issue in the United States. When based on the proper principles, contracting out allows the government to draw on the skills and resources of the private sector to deliver services more efficiently. Although the British and U.S. programs are financed differently, Britain's experience offers important…
Ma Ying-jeou, inaugurated as Taiwan's new president on May 20, 2008, has pledged to strengthen Taiwan's economic and political relationships with China. At the same time, he has good reason to preserve Taiwan's separate identity, and the U.S. has good reason to support him. Taiwan is one of the most dynamic democracies in Asia and one of America's top 10 trade partners.…
Countless official statements by the U.S. and Japan have highlighted the two countries' bilateral alliance as the linchpin or cornerstone of stability in Asia and indispensable to achieving the strategic objectives of both countries. Although true, such assertions are faulty on two counts: (1) they overlook the parallel criticality of the U.S.-South Korean alliance,…
The U.S.–Australia Defense Trade Cooperation Treaty would permit the U.S. to trade many defense articles with Australia without an export license or other written authorization. The treaty would advance American interests by: Reducing barriers to defense-related trade and so increasing exports; Improving the procurement process in both nations; and,…
One positive outcome of President Obama's recent trip to Asia is a U.S. commitment to reengage in long-postponed negotiations to join the Trans-Pacific Economic Strategic Partnership (TPP).[1] Brunei, Chile, Singapore, and New Zealand -- the current members of the trade pact -- designed the TPP[2] to serve as a model trade agreement for the Asia-Pacific region. A key…
An anti-carbon tax amendment will likely be considered as the Senate attempts to pass its first budget in four years....…
“This is the most effective and efficient way to drive innovation to find better, less-polluting ways of producing...…
Last week, India assisted the U.S. in securing dialogue-partner status in the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional...…
Heritage and the Wall Street Journal released the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom on Thursday, ranking 179 countries on...…
Last week, The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center hosted a very timely discussion on the prospects for...…
In recent weeks, representatives of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have complained of America’s “Cold War...…
Want to hear something disturbing? China has increased its defense budget by double digits every year for the last 20...…
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With the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round of trade talks at a standstill, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard...…
In 1966, God was pronounced dead. More recently, it was determined that God is back. But now a team of researchers has...…
Director, Asian Studies Center