{"id":1564,"date":"2012-10-10T06:00:51","date_gmt":"2012-10-09T20:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=1564"},"modified":"2012-10-12T07:51:49","modified_gmt":"2012-10-11T21:51:49","slug":"romney-and-the-case-of-the-lost-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/romney-and-the-case-of-the-lost-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"Romney and the case of the lost Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mitt<\/a>Mitt Romney\u2019s speech to the Virginia Military Institute on 8 October<\/a> was, as he said, his chance to lay out the \u2018vision\u2019 for US foreign policy under his presidency. But anyone living in Asia reading the speech would be struck by one glaring absence\u2014there is, in the entire speech, only one sentence on Asia. Indeed, almost the entire speech concerns US global leadership (which Romney believes has waned under Obama) or the Middle East (where Romney believes, perhaps with reason, a historic opportunity is slipping from America\u2019s grasp).<\/p>\n

The one sentence concerning Asia says that Chinese assertiveness is having a chilling effect on the region. But, ironically, it follows immediately after a sentence critical of the Obama administration\u2019s Asia \u2018pivot\u2019, because the policy tells the US\u2019s oldest allies, in Europe, that Washington is pivoting away from them. What\u2019s that supposed to mean? It sure sounds like Romney is intending to undo the pivot.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s probably unfair to judge Romney\u2019s approach to Asia just from this one speech. But shouldn\u2019t his vision statement say something about the radical changes being wrought in global power relativities and the regional order by the late emergence of half the world\u2019s population into industrialisation? That\u2019s what\u2019s happening in Asia, and Australia would be ill-served by a figure at the helm in Washington who doesn\u2019t see that, or the implications that flow from it.<\/p>\n

Of course the world needs to be concerned by the struggle going on within Islam. And of course we should be encouraging the positive forces unleashed by the Arab Spring. Yes, we need to find a solution to Iran\u2019s nuclear program. And yes, most assuredly yes, Australia has a direct interest in any plan that promises to regrow US global leadership. But Romney needs to get abreast of the transformational changes sweeping across Asia.<\/p>\n

And, in any case, his speech is unconvincing on exactly how he\u2019ll regrow US leadership. Obama believed\u2014perhaps still does\u2014that regrowing the US middle class was the key to restoring America\u2019s position in the world. But he\u2019s found out that regrowing a middle class is much easier said than done. There are other issues they agree on, and Romney might well share with Obama a belief that the US economy lies at the bottom of current US weakness. He certainly speaks of rebuilding the economy as an integral part of his approach to foreign policy, though his speech is skimpy on details.<\/p>\n

On one specific point\u2014his proposal to rebuild US naval capacity by committing to the construction of 15 ships and submarines per year\u2014Romney is singing a song much loved by Australian strategists. Still, it\u2019s not just naval capacity that the US needs in the Indo-Pacific; it needs a new strategy. Romney has a go at Obama in his speech saying that drones (hardware) have become the substitute for a national security strategy in the Middle East (software). Unless, he can come up with a new US strategy here in Asia\u2014a strategy that repositions the US as the regional strategic centre of gravity moves a little further each year southwest\u2014there\u2019s a danger of repeating that failing in a much more important region.<\/p>\n

Any president faces a learning curve on entering the Oval Office\u2014Obama certainly did. Romney, who could still win this election despite what the polls are saying, needs quickly to get on top of his Asia brief. It\u2019s a delicate time in Asia. A few mixed messages out of Washington could have unfortunate effects in the region.<\/p>\n

Rod Lyon is a non-residential fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Image courtesy of Flickr user davelawrence8<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mitt Romney\u2019s speech to the Virginia Military Institute on 8 October was, as he said, his chance to lay out the \u2018vision\u2019 for US foreign policy under his presidency. 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