What |s the s|gn|f|cance of the US a|||ance |n Austra||a's re|at|ons w|th the Un|ted States of Amer|ca?

Australia has been a close Iriend oI the US Ior a very long time not only are we Iriends but we
are also allies. Alliance is deIined as a union or association Iormed Ior mutual beneIit, esp.
between countries or organizations. Alliances are not merely the product oI rational calculations
oI national interest; they involve shared values, belieI systems, and a history oI cooperation.
Australia and America have long-shared common democratic values and belieIs. The two nations
are among the oldest continuous democracies in the world the alliance is one oI great depth and
strength supported by a shared spirit and attitude. The United States and Australia Iought
together to diminish Iascism and communism in today`s society. Australians and Americans
share the use oI the English language and inhabit continent-sized New World countries that are
ill at ease with many oI the traditions and attitudes oI old Europe.
Australia has a Iormal alliance with the United States oI America which was concluded in 1951
and it`s known as the ANZUS treaty. It came to Iorce on April 29
th
1952. ANZUS stands Ior the
Australia, New Zealand, and United States security treaty, It is the military alliance which binds
Australia and New Zealand and separately Australia and the United States to seek advice on
mutual threats, and in accordance with our constitutional processes, to act on common dangers.
Australia is the only country to have served alongside the United States in every major conIlict
since WWII. World was two was a turning point Ior Australia; the Iact that the Japanese invasion
became a real threat changed the way Australia viewed itselI. Australia wanted ANZUS to
enhance its security in the region, meaning each country would have to come to the deIense oI
the other in the event oI an attack which is known as a mutual support agreement. The ANZUS
Treaty states:
The parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any one of them, the territorial
integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened in the Pacific.
Article III of the ANZUS Treaty, 1951.
ANZUS was Iirst invoked on September 11 2001 when there was a terrorist attack on the US.
Article IV states:
ach Party recogni:es that an armed attack in the Pacific Area on any of the Parties would be
dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger
in accordance with its constitutional processes. Any such armed attack and all measures taken
as a result thereof shall be immediately reported to the Security Council of the United Nations.
Such measures shall be terminated when the Security Council has taken the measures necessary
to restore and maintain international peace and security.
This article recognizes that iI there was an armed attack on Australia that the US would be likely
to come help Australia out because oI the alliance and the ANZUS treaty. They have an
obligation to help out Australia whenever it is needed. As we have seen throughout the years we
have helped America numerous times and the most recent was the war in AIghanistan, we have
Australian military helping out the American troops in AIghanistan.
An Article in the Australian released on the 31 may said that almost halI oI the Australians
believe that china will become a military threat to Australia within 20 years. According to the
2010 Lowy Institute Ioreign policy poll, 46 per cent oI people think China will be a threat, with
19 per cent oI them rating the possibility as "very likely". And 55 per cent oI the 1001 people
surveyed named China as the world's top economic power, compared with 32 per cent Ior the
United States; the reality is that China is Australia's number one trading partner, but its economy
rates number Iour, behind the EU, US and Japan. This shows that there are always going to be
threats so recently Australia has tried to strengthen ties with China. But in order to do that there
would need to be more treaties. The annual meetIng of foreIgn and defense mInIsters from
AustralIa and the US respectIvely KevIn Fudd, Stephen SmIth, HIllary ClInton and Leon Panetta
took the USAustralIa allIance Into new terrItory; Into cyberspace and Into the ndIan Dcean. The
meetIng, lIke the contemporary allIance, was domInated by three technologIes and three outsIde
natIons. The technologIes are cyber warfare, mIssIles and nuclear weapons. The external natIons
are ChIna, ndIa and North Korea.

Recently on September 16
th
the AUSMIN talks were held between the Australian and American
leaders, it also marks the 60
th
anniversary Ior the ANZUS treaty. The Australia-US Ministerial
Consultations (AUSMIN) are held on an annual basis, and are hosted alternately by Australia
and the United States. Formal consultations among senior oIIicials include policy planning talks,
political-military discussions and military-military talks. The deIense alliance between Australia
and the US are signiIicantly increasing as more American ships, aircraIt and troops move Irom
Asia to the southern hemisphere to be based locally at joint military Iacilities. There have been
speculation`s that china is a threat but None oI the political leaders openly reIerred to China as
a possible threat in the region, instead reIerring to their desire Ior positive engagement through
economic and deIense ties. The article states that; security experts have pinpointed China as a
likely source oI recent cyber attacks on US commercial sites and some government agencies. It
has been agreed that any cyber warIare launched on the US or Australia will activate the ANZUS
treaty in Iuture. One oI the other reasons Ior the conIerence was to discuss how Australia will be
hosting more US troops at jointly run bases on Australian soil. Mr. Rudd said the alliance
partners had reviewed their engagement across the Asia-PaciIic region, mindIul that it would be
the "centre oI gravity" Ior economic growth and global security Ior the next halI-century."That is
why it is critical that this become a Iormal part oI our alliance deliberations and committed co-
operation in the event oI such attack in the Iuture."
Another good thing that comes out oI being allies with the United States is the Australia-United
States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA). United States is Australia's signiIicant economic
partner country. The US is one oI our top merchandise trading partners, our largest two-way
services trading partner and the major source oI Ioreign direct investment. This is a trade
agreement between Australia and the US which came into eIIect on the 1
st
oI January 2005. The
Free Trade Agreement with the United States will deepen our economic integration with the
world's most dynamic economy and increase Australia's wealth. We have secured important
Australian interests in areas such as health, in particular the Pharmaceutical BeneIits Scheme,
Ioreign investment screening, the audio-visual sector and our quarantine and Iood saIety regimes.
It beneIits the Iarms, Iood processors merchandisers and the economy itselI. It also strengthens
our ties with America and it shows us as a growing independent nation.
In conclusion The Alliance is the Ioundation oI deIense and security cooperation between
Australia and the United States but more so upon the Iriendship the two nations have developed
because oI one another. It increases Australia`s ability to protect itselI and it`s interested by
providing access to world leading deIense hardware and technologies iI they were needed and
also provides Australia with its economic growth. This alliance between Australia and America
gives both nations time to come together and cooperate with each other as we have already seen
Australia live up to its obligations through the support we provide America when they go to war
we send our troops to help them in any way we can e.g. the war in Iraq and the war in
AIghanistan. We also helped America when it was in crisis during September 11 2001, hurricane
Katrina ECT this goes to show that with having an alliance with America is a great beneIiting
Iactor to Australia.

















Bibliography
Newspaper Articles
1) Norington, B.N, 2011. Troop boost by Ausmin a signal to Asia-PaciIic. TH AUSTRALIAN,
17 September. 1.
2) Writer, S.W, 2011. Australia and US to Iight cyber threats. The Daily Telegraph, 16
September. 23.
3) Sheridan, G.S, 2011. New Australia-U.S. push deals India in to PaciIic. TH AUSTRALIAN,
17 September. 1
4) Heinrichs, R.H, 2011. Risks oI US alliance rising as value Ialls . The Sydney Morning Herald,
15 September. 1
5) McPhedran, I.M, 2011. Australians Iear war with China, says Lowy Institute survey. TH
AUSTRALIAN, 31 May. 1.
6) APP, APP, 2011. US, Australia coy about Asia-PaciIic strategy. TH AUSTRALIAN, 16
September. 1.
Websites
1) Australasian Legal InIormation Institute. 1952. Australian Treaty Series 1952 No 2.
|ONLINE| Available at:http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dIat/treaties/1952/2.html.
|Accessed 30 September 11|.
2) Australian government department oI Ioreign aIIairs and trade . 2011. Australia-United
States Free Trade Agreement. |ONLINE| Available
at: http://www.dIat.gov.au/Ita/ausIta/index.html. |Accessed 05 October 11|.
3) Australian government department oI Ioreign aIIairs and trade . 2011. United States of
America Australia-US alliance. |ONLINE| Available
at: http://www.dIat.gov.au/geo/us/australiausalliance.html. |Accessed 05 October 11|.

4) The Hon Kevin Rudd MP. 2011. Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations
(AUSMIN) 2011 Joint Communique. |ONLINE| Available
at: http://Ioreignminister.gov.au/releases/2011/krmr110916b.html. |Accessed 07
October 11|

5) Paul Dibb. 2011. U.S.-Australia alliance relations. an Australian view. |ONLINE|
Available at:http://Iindarticles.com/p/articles/mim0QZY/is216/ain15947846/.
|Accessed 07 October 11|.

ConIerence paper
1) The parliament oI the commonwealth oI Australia. 2010. Australias Defense relations with
the United States. |ONLINE| Available
at: https://docs.google.com/viewer?av&qcache:58qT8KkV1W4J:www.aph.gov.au/house/com
mittee/jIadt/usrelations/usissuespaper.pdIWhatisthesigniIicanceoItheUSAlliancein
AustraliaE28099srelationswiththeUnitedStatesoIAmerica3Fessay&hlen&gl
au&pidbl&srcidADGEESgUzUxk8bjg9aGkV4rbeWzgnRZLOW6A0FUataMMR0RdrXgSP
-
HnJ45hnziM78GxIItZxy5htqzMWCrJmGxvBTRqZAxkLvudQ2yFjAi2ZQvm75FGIsDyVzmm
Ju4IN0GqXBUeUiD&sigAHIEtbSbl21-8IgnI0LO7GLchOBCWQiOw. |Accessed 05 October
11|.