Uniya Newsletter: Autumn 1995, p 7. Australia's New Role with Asia Australia must change course approaching our northern neighbours, says Phil Glendenning. (Phil Glendenning is the adult education co-ordinator at Australian Caritas. Phil collaborates closely with Uniya on the Briefing Paper series.) AUSTRALIA'S relationship with the Asian region is a dominant theme of Paul Keating's Prime Ministership. It ranks with republicanism and achieving reconciliation between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. An increased Australian role in Asia is a welcome initiative. Yet it seems insufficient attention is paid to the type of relationship that Australia is developing with the people of Asia. In areas such as overseas aid, the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum [APEC] and our refugee and immigration policy, Australia's involvement with the Asian region tends to be selective and in our economic self-interest. Asia's major resource What we ignore is the one resource Asia has in abundance, its people. A vast continent of diverse peoples and rich cultures is home to 800 million people living in poverty. At present the majority of the world's absolute poor live in Asia, especially in South Asia and China, but also in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Australia's response to this reality is inadequate. The region of South Asia - India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives - remains low in Australian priorities, receiving less than 5 per cent of Australian aid. By contrast, Australian non-government agencies [NGOs] focus particularly on South Asia because of the numbers of poor people, as in India, and the level of poverty, as in Bangladesh. APEC, unlike the European Community, has no social charter to ensure that wealthy nations, like Australia address the human needs of the region as part of their trade policy. Community development, gender issues, health, organisational issues, poverty alleviation, environment and human rights could all be enhanced by a charter. Currently these issues do not fit the dominant economic model driving Australian public policy. An increased standard of living in the region is creating increased demand for goods and services, and lower rates of population growth. Yet economic rationalism lacks a long-term perspective on such trends. By the year 2000, according to the World Health Organisation, at least 10 million people will be HIV-positive. More Asians will be infected each year. By 2010, the life expectancy of a baby born in Thailand will have dropped by 30 years. In economic terms alone, the impact of HIV/AIDS seriously threatens the region's growth. Put simply, the region faces a major catastrophe that the pursuit of short-term economic gain will not prevent. In Vietnam, Australian aid is used primarily to promote trade possibilities. In Cambodia, Australian assistance falls short on funding for landmine clearance and for the continuing needs of returnees from the Thai-Cambodian border. Ironically, APEC is a trade agreement that omits many Asian nations. Economic tigers such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea are in, but Bangladesh and Nepal are not. Chile belongs, but not the Pacific island states over which Chileans fly to APEC meetings. APEC is clearly for the rich end of the neighbourhood. Excluded, too, is East Timor, an area of grave concern in terms of Australia's relationship with Asia. Australia's perception is that to upset Indonesia is not in the national interest: again economic self- interest rules! Australian's role in Asia should be viewed in relation to domestic policy in areas such as indigenous rights, multi-culturalism, social policy, education, health and refugee assistance, immigration policy and economics. Are we truly open to learn and open to partnership, ready to put interdependence ahead of short-term profits? Australia could play a significant role in lessening Asian poverty. Our aid program could be reshaped to help in priority areas such as education, health and community development. We might become advocates of a social charter for APEC, to facilitate the region's approach to poverty and human rights issues. Australian domestic economic and social policy should work from an inclusive vision and not just for the few. We seem content to trade primarily with the rich of the Asian region and to focus our aid program in our own commercial interest. Potential exists for Australia to become part of the solution to Asia's needs. Current trends could render us a sizeable part of the problem.