Publisher's Synopsis
The world has changed swiftly for Australia since the terrorist attacks on the USA on September 11, 2001, the 2002 Bali bombings and the explosion outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in 2004. Security against terrorism has leapt to prominence in Australia's foreign policy.
A fundamental structural change in world affairs is also occurring, as economic activity becomes increasingly globalised. International financial markets now determine economic development, and international financial institutions police the global economy. China is becoming a key trading partner for Australia.
In a completely revised and updated edition, Australia in International Politics shows how the nation is responding to these changes. The book describes how Australian foreign policy has evolved since Federation and how it is now made. It explains Australian economic initiatives such as the Cairns Group and the Free Trade Agreement with the USA in the context of globalisation, and points to the intrusive nature of contemporary free trade. It examines recent issues such as Australia's military involvement in East Timor, Iraq, and Solomon Islands, the shift to a new engagement in the South Pacific, good governance' in Australia's foreign aid program, Australia's partial withdrawal from the UN human rights treaty system, the refugee issue, and the decision not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Written by one of Australia's most experienced teachers of international relations, Australia in International Politics explains Australian foreign policy in a highly accessible manner to students encountering the subject for the first time.
one of the best books on Australian foreign policy that I have read in recent years'
Samuel M. Makinda, Australian Journal of Political Science
A comprehensive and up to date account of Australian foreign policy. It provides a balanced and insightful appraisal of trends under the Coalition and Labor. A lucid and accessible style make this an ideal introductory text.'
Karin von Strokirch, University of New England
