Paul Keating’s AUKUS hostility reflects his passion for hard-nosed realism over subservience
Grand Ambition: Paul Keating’s Global Vision for Australia is based on deep archival research – and author James Curran’s access to Keating, with his personal papers.
Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating's unwavering support for AUKUS, a U.S.-UK-Japan defense pact, appears to stem from his steadfast belief in hard-nosed realism over subservience to any foreign power. Keating's passion for international affairs and his vision of a unified, prosperous Asia-Pacific region were evident throughout his distinguished career.
As quoted in James Curran's book "Grand Ambition: Paul Keating's Global Vision for Australia", Keating aimed to upgrade APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, in two key ways: elevating it to a forum for heads of government rather than just ministers and officials, and using APEC as a platform to promote greater regional economic integration and security cooperation.
However, despite his efforts, APEC never lived up to Keating's lofty expectations, as it ultimately failed to deliver the security benefits he envisioned. The book highlights Keating's tireless diplomacy in securing the participation of key world powers, including China and the United States, in APEC, with the former president of Indonesia, Suharto, playing a crucial role in bringing the forum together.
Yet, the reality of APEC's limitations and the challenges it faced are not fully explored in Curran's account.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
