Australia’s Policy Priorities in a Global Era

The policy brief examines Australia's struggle to balance its strategic alliance with the US and its economic reliance on China. It argues that regional forums in the Asia-Pacific are often ineffective due to competition between rival powers and differing operational preferences between Western and Asian states. The author suggests that the G-20 offers a more viable platform for middle powers like Australia to exert global influence and recommends a more independent strategic position to manage relations with rival powers.

• Australia faces a complex policy environment where its primary strategic partner, the United States, and its primary economic partner, China, are economic rivals, complicating the definition and pursuit of the national interest.
• Regional organisations in the Asia-Pacific are limited in effectiveness because of competing visions of regional membership, a clash between Western legalism and the 'ASEAN way' of consensus and informality, and rivalry between the US and China over specific forums.
• The G-20 is identified as a strategic forum for middle powers like Australia to promote new ideas and influence international outcomes, although it has struggled to achieve global consensus since the immediate aftermath of the 2008/09 financial crisis.
• Australia's economic policy has shifted from 20th-century protectionism toward liberalisation, leading to an increased economic reliance on East Asian neighbours and a more influential natural-resource sector.

APA

Beeson, M. (2015). Australia’s Policy Priorities in a Global Era. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-131.pdf

Chicago

Beeson, Mark. Australia’s Policy Priorities in a Global Era. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-131.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Beeson |first1=Mark |title=Australia’s Policy Priorities in a Global Era |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-131.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beeson2015australias, author = {Beeson, Mark}, title = {{Australia’s Policy Priorities in a Global Era}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-131.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }