PA/33/12 30 October 2012
White Paper points to India as key partner for Australia in the Asian Century
Prime Minister Julia Gillard released on 28 October the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper, a roadmap showing how Australia can be a winner in the Asian century.
The White Paper lays out an ambitious plan to ensure Australia will emerge stronger over the decades ahead, by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Asian century.
Australia will have more comprehensive diplomatic ties with key regional nations—China, India, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea—and will have expanded them with many others, from Mongolia to Vietnam and beyond.
Speaking at the launch, Prime Minister Gillard said “The weight of world’s economy is genuinely moving in our direction. When we map the centre of gravity of global consumption we see it is shifting east by more than one hundred miles a year, as demand grows on our side of the world.”
“By 2025, it will have reached as far as central India. The world economy is coming our way. We are living through an economic and social transformation on a scale and at a speed which defies comparison. A new Indonesia, Islamic and democratic – a new China, urban and soon ageing – a new India, reforming and young.”
During her state visit to India this month, Prime Minister Gillard said “In 2009, we entered into a strategic partnership with India. That was a recognition that we are two countries with a history of shared values and a history of mutual interests, but that we needed to broaden and deepen the relationship.”
“Now is the right time for my first visit as Prime Minister because we can broaden and deepen the relationship as our interests converge. Our economic interests are certainly converging with a spectacular growth in trade between India and Australia.”
“But whilst we have seen that spectacular growth in trade, I do want to see a broadening and deepening of the economic relationship. India is one of those nations that in our region of the world, in this Asian century, we will see grow spectacularly in economic weight.”
Copies of the White Paper are available online at: www.asiancentury.dpmc.gov.au