The Australian Labor Party's Asian Approaches 1983-1996

Since Bob Hawke assumed power in Australia in 1983 Australia-Asia relations have been increasingly becoming a major and profound subject in its foreign policy. Both the Hawke government (1983-1991) and the Keating administration (1991-1996) spared no effort to promote Australia's engagement with Asia, placing top priority on its relationship with Asia. The ensuing Howard administration (1996-2007) adopted the "Asia first, but not Asia only" principle, and exhibited its hesitation, reservation and recession in the process of engagement with Asia. On November 26^th 2007 under the leadership of Kevin Rudd Labor defeated Howard's Coalition, and won the Australian general election, which aroused a new wave of academic interest in the Australian Labor Party. In his speech to the Asia Society Australasia on June 4^th 2008, Kevin Rudd, the Australian Prime Minister, promised greater engagement with Asia, and announced his Asia Pacific Community plan, to which responses varied. Obviously, Asian policy of the Rudd Labor government is a continuation and development of those under Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, therefore, a study of the Asian approaches during the Hawke and Keating years presents its significance in understanding and predicting Rudd's Asian strategies.This dissertation provides a new perspective by linking international relations with party politics. It is devoted to analyzing how the Australian Labor Party, especially the Hawke and Keating Labor governments, against the changing geopolitical backdrop, shaped and developed their engagement with Asia, and pushed Australia towards Asia. After examination and comparison of Hawke's Asian policies and Keating's Asian strategies, the thesis ends up with an analysis and a prediction of Kevin Rudd's Asian approach based on the Labor tradition in external relations.