The ‘arc of instability’ and Australia's strategic policy

Ayson, Robert

doi:10.1080/10357710701358360

Cited by 48 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In all fairness, this is also partially due to the complexity of the wider region, as well as to the challenges it poses to Australia, which should not be downplayed when assessing the country's role in it. Indeed, its most proximate neighbours have displayed political instability and occasional balkanisation impetus in recent years (Ayson 2007). Moreover, the double-edged relationship with China rests on profoundly different national characteristics that are heavily moderated by huge economic gains, a complex context that paved the way for the (seemingly) schizophrenic strategic ambiguity that makes Australia torn between China and the US in a number of areas (van Nieuwenhuizen 2019).…”

Section: -Multilateralismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australia the ‘good international citizen’? The limits of a traditional middle power

Abbondanza

2020

Australian Journal of International Affairs

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Australia is often described as a 'good international citizen' (GIC), which is intertwined to its status of 'quintessential' middle power. However, a number of elements might undermine both notions. This research reviews the concept of GIC and contributes to this niche of IR theory by providing a dedicated definitional framework, which consists of: i) the respect of the international law; ii) multilateralism; iii) the pursuing of humanitarian and idealist objectives; iv) an active support for the rules-based order; and v) a congruous identity matched by consistent domestic policies. After assessing the country's foreign and domestic policies against this, it finds that Australia has damaged its GIC credentials due to a number of reasons, including: the hard-line policies against seaborne asylum seekers; the participation in missions that are not sanctioned by the UN; the transformation of its global multilateralism into a selective regionalism; the budget cuts to foreign aid; a controversial attitude towards climate change mitigation; and a preference for the US-led global order over a rules-based international society. Far from criticising the country's foreign policy in its entirety, it argues that in the 21st century Australia behaves as a 'neutral international citizen', and a traditional but not 'quintessential' middle power.

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Section: -Multilateralismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australia the ‘good international citizen’? The limits of a traditional middle power

Abbondanza

2020

Australian Journal of International Affairs

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“…Over the years a proliferation of negative imagery has been used to 'securitise' the Pacific. This ranges from the region as an 'arc of instability' (Ayson, 2007) consisting of 'failed states' (Wainwright, 2003) to some even making global comparisons by referring to the situation as an 'Africanisation of the Pacific' (Reilly, 2000). An Australian political commentator argued that the notion of 'failed state' might not be reflective of the situation and suggested an equally grim label of 'barbed wire' reality (Dobell, 2007).…”

Section: Outsider Perceptions Of Pacific Peoplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contested Terrain: Reconceptualising Security in the Pacific

Ratuva¹

2019

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“…Concerns about the regional ‘arc of instability’ surrounding Australia's northern and eastern shores had been increasing since the late 1990s following political upheavals in Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Solomon Islands (Ayson ). Australia's former reliance on the soft power of aid and diplomacy had done little to stem problems of conflict and instability in its near neighbourhood.…”

Section: Why the Regional Assistance Mission To Solomon Islands?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Life Support? Reflections on Solomon Islands after the Regional Assistance Mission

Allen

Dinnen

2016

Asia & Pacific Policy Stud

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The Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands was conceived in the 'state-building moment' that informed Western responses to 'state failure' over the past two decades. That moment has Now passed with renewed fiscal austerity, growing scepticism with interventionism, and shifts in Australia's regional policy priorities. The decade-long mission, which has recently begun to drawdown, was successful in restoring security to Solomons but less so in its more ambitious state-building efforts. Among the key constraints has been the mission's inability to influence a more inclusive political settlement. We highlight inherent tensions between instrumentalised approaches to state building and more organic processes of state formation. Looking forward, we consider how external assistance can contribute to state formation while retaining a focus on the 'life support' objectives of state building. We sketch some possibilities for hybrid forms of institutional development that might combine strengths from both local and liberal orders.

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The ‘arc of instability’ and Australia's strategic policy

Cited by 48 publications

References 10 publications

Australia the ‘good international citizen’? The limits of a traditional middle power

Australia the ‘good international citizen’? The limits of a traditional middle power

Contested Terrain: Reconceptualising Security in the Pacific

Beyond Life Support? Reflections on Solomon Islands after the Regional Assistance Mission

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