英文摘要 |
Australia is a middle power with a limited defence capability. Therefore, Australia’s foreign polities and defence strategy are traditionally connected with international superpower-led military coalition, the UK first, then the US. The increasing strategic importance of Indonesia for Australia’s national security was due to the UK, then the US, decided to withdraw troops from Southeast Asia after the Second World War. In order to keep its national security by shaping a regional security setting, Australia consequently started to promote regional multilateral diplomacy and security building toward the Southeast Asia. Regarding Australia’s geopolitics, the geographical position of Indonesia is very close to Australia and has a deep influence on Australia’s security concern. For this, Australia’s relationship with Indonesia is, therefore, the most important one in the region. This article tries to examine that how and why a middle power Australia has applied political and economic approaches to construct a relationship with Indonesia through the Australian perspective of geopolitical security after WWII. |