U.S. President Barak Obama’s unveiling this week of plans for a deepened U.S. military alliance with Australia seems to fit naturally into the growing narrative of U.S. attempts to counter the rise of Chinese military power in Asia.
But for Australia, where U.S. Marines will for the first time be stationed on a base in the northern city of Darwin, the development has caused quite a stir. While it won bipartisan political and widespread public support, Australian analysts are split on the development’s deeper significance as well as the question of whether the timing is right for their country to be cozying up to the U.S. military.
“In practical operations terms, I don’t think this is a very significant step,” says Hugh White, a visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy and professor of strategic studies at the Australian National University. “But this is not about operations -- it’s about symbolism. It’s about Australia demonstrating its alignment to the United States in relation to China.”