Rudd’s 2020 vision for AustralAsia 2:06pm 6.06.08

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s declaration that the Asia-Pacific should become like the European Union has caused political and economic ripples since his speech at the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre annual dinner earlier in the week.

Rudd’s speech introduced the idea of further engagement with Asia due to its growing global significance. “We need to have a vision for an Asia-Pacific community that embraces a regional institution which is able to engage in the full spectrum of dialogue, cooperation and action on economic and political matters and future challenges related to security.”
 
Former PM Paul Keating quashed the idea, saying it was unachievable, while opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Andrew Robb called it presumptuous. However, opposition trade spokesperson Ian Macfarlane said it looked like “a step in the right direction”.
 
Asian legal expert professor Tim Lindsey of Melbourne University told Fairfax that while it was too early to call it the new EU, he could see the advantages it presented. "Australia is uniquely positioned as the only Western society in Asia and we have never capitalised on that, despite most of our commodities going to Asia. Our government-to-government relations have improved with Asia so much that we do need to capitalise on it now."
 
Rudd will visit Japan and Indonesia next week.