Growth of China is a benefit not a threat: Australian PM
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-05-19 08:46
CHICAGO - The economic expansion and growing political influence of
China and India is a benefit, not a threat to American leadership and the global
system, Australian Prime Minister John Howard said.
The economic expansion of both nations is swelling the ranks of the global
middle class and will lead to greater political participation and envioronmental
stewardship, he said.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard speaks
at the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations in Chicago May 17, 2006.
[Reuters] |
"China's rise is one of the
defining phenomenon of our age," Howard said in a speech to the Chicago Council
on Foreign Relations. "We see it as good for China, good for Australia, good for
the world."
However, China must contribute more to the institutions that underpin
global prosperity and security and the international community must work to build
on shared interests and widen the circle of cooperation if China is to be
a "constructive member of the international system," Howard said.
"It is not only China that needs to adjust to changing realities. The
international community must also acknowledge that China is determined to
succeed and to reclaim its place in the global order," Howard said.
"A constructive dialogue between the United States and China, which allows
frank and open discussions, will contribute greatly to regional peace and
stability."
Howard said he anticipates that India will play a greater role in regional
affairs and that India's recent agreement with the United States on nuclear
issues will "provide greater transparency and contribute to reducing nuclear
tensions in the region."
"With an increasing intersection of interests, I envisage our two countries
developing a close economic and security partnership," he said.
Howard reiterated Australia's commitment to stay the course in Iraq and
warned against American isolationism.
"I know that there is a view among some in America that you are too much
involved in the world," he said. "It is vital for America's interests as much as
those of the rest of the world, that America not retreat."
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