Defense Relationship Between Britain And Australia In Malaysia-Singapore (1960-1971)

1960-1971 was a critical period for Britain to change its defense policy in Southeast Asia and end its military presence in the region.Three major events occurred during this period: namely,the establishment(1963)and division(1965)of the Federation of Malaysia,the confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia(1963-1966),and the decision of Britain to withdraw forces from east of Suez(1967-1968).Britain was not alone in dealing with these matters,but had a lot of coordination and cooperation with countries in the region,especially Australia.Facing the establishment of Malaysia,both Britain and Australia recognized the need for a new defense agreement to safeguard their regional military status.Australia actively urged and Participated in the formation of a new Anglo-Malaysian defense treaty,which extended the defense responsibilities of the two countries in Singapore and Malaysia.In the face of the confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia,Britain responded positively and sent troops to Borneo in 1962,while Australia hesitated and did not decide to use military force until Indonesia landed on the Malay Peninsula.Due to the deterioration of the internal and external situation,Britain carried out a national defense review and gradually established its policy of evacuating defense from Southeast Asia in 1971.Australia firmly opposed Britain's policy and did not agree with the establishment of an alternative British base in Australia,nor recognized the return of British troops to Europe.Due to the pressure of its allies and Conservative Party's coming into power,the British Government proposed to replace the existing Anglo-Malaysian Defense Agreement with the five-national defense arrangements,and signed a treaty with allies in 1971,including Australia.As a result,Britain continued to maintain regional involvement but no longer assumed substantive obligations to Singapore and Malaysia,while Australia had to accept the fact that it had to assume greater defense responsibilities.However,shortly after Britain's withdrawal,the United States also decided to end its war operations in Vietnam,which made it difficult for Australia,who relied on Britain and the United States to maintain its forward defense policy,to adhere to its previous policy.With the ease ofregional situation,finally Australian troops returned to their homeland.During this period,the defense relations between Britain and Australia,like the political relations between the two countries,gradually alienated,from close cooperation in the construction of a new defense treaty in Malaysia to disagreement in the Indian-Malaysian confrontation,and finally reached a peak in the dispute between the two countries in Britain's plan to evacuate east of Suez.The background of the weakening of defense relations between Britain and Australia is the changes in the international situation and the tremendous reform in the internal and foreign policy of the two countries.