Speech
at the opening plenary session of the Fourth Australia-Korea
Forum
Hobart, 17 July 2002
Meeting the Challenges of a Changing Global and Regional Environment
Introduction
Your Excellency, Dr Han Seung-soo; my colleague the Hon Mark Vaile;
Senators Alan Ferguson and Eric Abetz; Dr David Crean, the Treasurer
of Tasmania, the Lord Mayor of Hobart, Alderman Rob Valentine, Dr
Kim Jin-hyun, Dr Don Stammer, Mr Bill Shields, Mr Lee Ku-taek. Ambassadors
Song Young-shik and Colin Heseltine; Mr Damon Thomas; Distinguished
guests, ladies and gentlemen.
It is a great pleasure to host the Fourth Australia-Korea Forum and
to welcome you to Hobart. I am especially delighted that Dr Han
Seung-soo, while very busy in New York as the President of the UN
General Assembly, has managed to fit in a visit to Hobart to be with
us as head of the Korean delegation.
I must say I am impressed by the broad range of high quality participants
on both sides, representing well-established areas of the bilateral
relationship and new areas where there is substantial potential for
developing stronger ties.
The first Forum in 1989 had as a major outcome the establishment
of the Australia-Korea Foundation and the Korea-Australia Foundation. Both Foundations have continued to play a major role in subsequent
Forums.
I am confident that this, the fourth Forum, will develop ideas of
how our two countries can cooperate further, in beneficial ways, to
strengthen an already very strong bilateral relationship.
I would like to thank the Tasmania Premier and Government, together
with the Tasmanian business community and academia, for the strong
support they are giving to the Forum to make it a great success.
It is important that Tasmania gets its full share of international
meetings, particularly given the State’s substantial contribution
to Australian diplomacy. The Secretary of the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade, Dr Ashton Calvert, is a Tasmanian, for example.
I would also like to acknowledge the role of Senator Abetz, who successfully
lobbied for the Forum to take place in Hobart.
Australia-Korea relations
Last month we witnessed the extraordinary achievements of the Korean
soccer team in the FIFA World Cup – jointly hosted by Korea and Japan. The first Asian team to reach the semi-finals did so in the first
World Cup to be held in Asia.
I see the success of the Korean soccer team not just as the exploits
of an outstanding group of soccer players, or just of a country rising
to the occasion in a collective expression of national pride.
I see the success of the Korean team as emblematic of the success
of the Republic of Korea (ROK) - of the emergence of a truly significant
player in the regional and global environment.
And the increasing importance of Korea is reflected in the increased
significance of relations between our two countries.
Fifty years ago our two peoples knew almost nothing about each other. That was to be changed by the nature and role of our participation
in the UN intervention following the outbreak of war on the Korean
Peninsula in June 1950.
Australia sent around 17,000 troops to fight under the United Nations
flag. 339 Australians gave their lives in the conflict, creating
a strong and poignant bond between us.
In the years since, those tentative bonds – forged in conflict –
have strengthened and expanded into a significant relationship.
My colleague Mark Vaile will outline to you the extent and depth
of Australia’s participation in Korea’s economic growth over the past
40 years. Suffice to say, Korea is now amongst our most important
economic partners, in a relationship that goes well beyond the supply
of raw materials for an industrial power. Indeed, Korea is our fourth
largest trading partner and third largest export market.
The increasingly complex and mature nature of our economic relationship
is now also reflected in our political and strategic relations. Why? Because we have increasingly common interests in maintaining not just
the prosperity but the stability of the Asia Pacific region. Both
countries recognized this a decade ago as founding members of APEC,
and of bodies such as the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Let me say something briefly about APEC.
It is important that we continue to reinvigorate APEC and revitalize
its agenda. APEC already has the Bogor Principles as its aim for
trade liberalization. We could also look to weave into APEC current
agenda items in the regional and international scene, including those
of importance to leaders of developing countries. The financing of
terrorism and the relationship between good governance and aid are
two examples which come to mind. I broached this subject during my
visit to Washington last week, and I was encouraged by the response. Last night, Dr Han flagged the key roles Australia and the ROK played,
working together, to create APEC back in 1989. I think that there
is considerable scope for Australia and the ROK to work together this
year on this important task of taking APEC forward.
Over the course of the past decade, of course, we have seen the emergence
of South Korea as an important economy globally, a member of the OECD,
and a mature democracy. And so today, Australia and the ROK have common
bilateral interests, through our trade and investment, and common
global interests, as significant liberal democracies at either end
of East Asia, a region crucial to both countries.
The scope and depth of our common interests are why both countries
have worked hard in recent years to reinforce the bilateral relationship. President Kim Dae-jung visited Australia in 1999 and Prime Minister
John Howard visited Seoul in 2000.
I have visited Seoul on a number of occasions, and I hope to do so
later this year, and want to encourage regularized meetings between
foreign ministers, on an annual basis.
Trade ministers now aim to meet annually through the forum of the
Australia-Korea Ministerial Joint Trade and Economic Commission (MJTEC).
Of course, our interaction is not simply occurring at senior levels. The convergence of our views on international and regional affairs
has led to a broad spectrum of inter-governmental contacts, including
talks on political-military issues, development assistance cooperation
and UN issues.
Today, the ROK is a valuable interlocutor and partner for Australia
in multilateral fora, including the WTO, the ASEAN Regional Forum
and the OECD. And we have very much appreciated the ROK’s support
for an Australian role in greater East Asian cooperation. We also
warmly welcome the ROK’s valuable support for East Timor.
Australia and Korea will need to continue working together in regional
institutions to promote economic prosperity and regional stability.
Continuity and change in the international environment
A decade ago, prominent American thinker Francis Fukuyama wrote of
the ‘end of history’ – heralding the end of the cold war, the fall
of communism in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, and the
triumph of liberal democratic capitalism as a close to ideal political
system.
Alternatively, Samuel Huntington wrote of the coming ‘clash of civilisations’,
pitting Judeo-Christian and Islamic societies, traditions and cultures
against each other in a global struggle for ideological, and thus
political, supremacy.
At first glance, some would say there are plausible elements in both
analyses. But a closer and more fundamental examination of global
developments show each to be seriously flawed.
The events of 11 September last year showed graphically the nature
of new and emerging threats – in particular fundamentalist terrorism
- to the international order.
But the attacks, and their aftermath, also showed the still central
- and potent – stabilizing role of the nation-state in international
affairs, amidst an inherently unstable and fragile geo-political world
order.
The attacks led, amongst other things, to a significant reassessment
of the international agenda and shifts in traditional alignments,
such as a marked improvement in US relations with Russia and China. But we need to wait and see how permanent these sorts of shifts are
likely to be.
Ultimately the attacks also underscored the solidity of traditional
alignments, the continuity of long term interests, and the role of
moderate, secular values in Western, Islamic and other countries alike
in rebutting and rebuking fundamentalists and radicals.
The global – and the regional
These same observations apply to East Asia and the Pacific - the
region in which Australia and the ROK, together, have deep and abiding
common interests.
The United States plays a crucial role in the stability and prosperity
of our region. US strategic engagement, particularly through its web
of security alliances, discourages local strategic rivalries. And
it dissuades adventurism.
The US economy is a huge and open market for Asia-Pacific economies,
that has been an absolutely essential element in their economic growth. The region – tacitly or otherwise – has accepted and encouraged United
States engagement in the region.
This applies especially to maritime democracies, such as Australia
and Korea, which depend fundamentally on a free and open global trading
system. It also applies to those that, while not sharing similar
democratic ideals, share an interest in maintaining the status
quo to prevent the resurgence of historical rivalries.
Japan remains the world’s second largest economy, and a key player
globally and regionally. Australia recognizes – and is sensitive to
– Korean and other regional reservations about Japan’s role in the
region. Australia, too, has suffered at the hands of Japan in the
past.
But we believe that Japan has a positive role to play in the security
of the Asia-Pacific region. Japan is playing a significant support
role in the war against terrorism. Who amongst us, just a few years
ago, could have foreseen the extraordinary sight of Japanese troops
joining Australian and Korean soldiers in the UN operation in East
Timor? Australia supports a greater security role for Japan in
the region – albeit it at a pace and nature acceptable to the
region.
The role China plays in the Asia-Pacific - more than anything else
- will influence the future regional strategic environment. China’s
emergence is a result of – and contributes to – the region’s prosperity. And China’s links with regional economies such as Korea and Australia
are crucial to China’s further economic and social development.
The big strategic question of the 21st century is how
a rising China integrates successfully into the regional and international
community. China and its neighbours must manage this process in ways
that benefit not just China but also the international community.
China’s accession to the WTO, its successful hosting of APEC last
year, and its constructive approach to regional cooperation generally,
bode well for the future of that process. So too do the breadth and
vitality of our own bilateral links with China.
The Korean Peninsula
None of our Korean guests need reminding that the Korean Peninsula
remains among the most serious potential flashpoints in our region. Right now, the prospects for inter-Korean and US-DPRK dialogue and
military confidence-building have stalled.
DPRK Chairman Kim Jong Il has not yet seen fit to reciprocate ROK
President Kim Dae-jung’s statesmanship. That is to be regretted.
The DPRK has missed a major opportunity by failing to support the
campaign against terrorism, to improve ties with the ROK and the United
States, and to take steps to allay concerns about its strategic intentions
and its weapons programs. That too, is to be regretted. Australia
holds serious concerns about weapons of mass destruction and proliferation,
and about the DPRK’s nuclear, missile and missile technology, and
conventional weapons programs.
The DPRK has also failed to respond adequately to renewed offers
of dialogue with the United States. That is to be regretted.
And now we have witnessed the loss of life and other casualties from
the naval clash between the DPRK and the ROK in the Yellow Sea on
29 June. This serious incident was a key factor in talks with the
United States being postponed yet again. The actions of the DPRK
forces in this recent incident are a matter of real concern. The
DPRK must avoid provocative behaviour of the kind that led to this
incident.
I urge the DPRK to make a concerted effort to promote inter-Korean
reconciliation.
Australia’s role
Of course, the consequences of a security breakdown on the Korean
Peninsula, if that were to happen again, would be immense, not only
in North East Asia, but for countries such as Australia as well.
We believe that a strong balance of deterrence and engagement with
the DPRK is the best means of ensuring the stability of the Korean
Peninsula. Australia strongly supports the ROK’s engagement policy
with the DPRK.
A framework within which the DPRK and the ROK can reconcile their
differences and cooperate more closely is the best way to bring about
peace and security. As such, Australia is a strong supporter of the
US-DPRK Framework Agreement, and the work of the Korean Peninsula
Energy Development Organisation (KEDO) in reducing the risk of nuclear
proliferation on the Peninsula. Australia is the largest single non-executive
contributor to KEDO – having provided $22 million to date.
In our belief that dialogue and engagement will help to secure peace
and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, Australia has resumed diplomatic
relations with the DPRK. The new DPRK Ambassador is expected to arrive
in Canberra soon. His arrival will enable us to use our ties with
the DPRK to greater effect.
We are encouraging the DPRK to comply fully with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty and to meet its IAEA obligations. And we are urging the
DPRK to stop developing and using ballistic missile technologies,
including beyond the 2003 moratorium.
We also need to use our ties to help address the terrible suffering
experienced by people of the DPRK. North Korea could plunge back
into famine unless foreign donors urgently send it more food. Since
1994 Australia has provided almost $60 million in aid to the DPRK,
including $36 million in humanitarian assistance, the $22 million
to KEDO, and $0.7 million to training North Koreans in fields such
as market economics, soil and pest management, biotechnology for producing
rice, and nutritional statistics.
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, Australia and the ROK enjoy warm and constructive
relations. One of the great things about our relationship is that,
increasingly, we are better understanding each other and seeing the
possibilities for greater cooperation.
I see a future relationship based on the shared ideals and aspirations
of significant economic and political partners, and mature liberal
democracies, strategically well placed in an important and dynamic
region of the world.
One of the great memories of the Sydney Olympics – which besides
the World Cup was the other great global event in the Asia-Pacific
in recent times – was the sight of the two Korean teams marching as
one at the opening ceremony.
I hope that this forum is a small step in achieving such a vision
for the Korean Peninsula. Also, and just as importantly for Australia,
I hope that this forum also helps to create a closer partnership between
our two countries, spanning an entire region.
I wish you well in your deliberations. And I hope that the Korean
delegation’s visit to Hobart is fruitful and enjoyable.
Thank you.
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Friday, 19-Jul-2002 15:57:43 EST
Local Date:
Sunday, 07-Sep-2008 15:49:51 EST
