languages and cultures to age without replacement. Not to mention letting students who are not native speakers drop Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian as if there’s no tomorrow. Yet even as our higher education sector struggles and our claim to expertise in Asian affairs crumbles, we assume that our long run ofeconomic luck entitles us to infl uence in the region. 3 in this, and in standing for election to the UN Security =» Council, Australia is presuming a lot on our reputation. Bad reputation Australians who follow the Asian discourse, live in the region, or visit regularly, not just as tourists, know that our reputation in Asian countries falls short of our common expectations. Australia is seen in the region as hostile, threatening and unwelcoming, and disengaged from Asian affairs, says John McCarthy, formerly Ambassador to five Asian Countries, and most recently Our Man in lndia. Australians are ‘insular internationalists who travel but are seen to ignore the world, says Michael Wesley, one of our keenest foreign policy minds. The expertise in international alfairs offormer leaders Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbullwas worthless,he adds, noting that Gillard and Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott, have next to none. lf leaders on both sides of politics understood how Australians’ ignorance and presumption grate in Asian countries, they would recognise that we view our reputation as we wish it to be, not as it is. We have to show that we believe projecting Australia in Asian countries is not a waste of time and money. Things can change But stereotypes, by defi nition out of date, can be changed by current realities. As Australia changes, perceptions in the region will catch up, particularly if we improve our public and cultural diplomacy and our international broadcasting. We have to show that we believe projecting Australia in Asian countries is not a waste of time and money. if Ken Henry’s White Paper acknowledges these unpalatable truths, and recommends appropriate action, he will have done Australia a great service. Weak allies The Prime Ministers key proposition is that Australia can “stand strongly in our changing region", while simultaneously having an “ally in Washington and respect in Beijing”. The tyranny of a weak American ally must also be mterrogated by Dr Henry, who will understand that the US debt, and hence indirectly Americas military role in the region, is funded by China, our putative enemy. issues in Society 1 Volume 350 In late September the Chinese People’s Daily warned unnamed countries which “think as long as they can balance China with the help ofthe United States military power, they are free to do whatever they want” may have another thing coming. That includes what China classifies as “small and weak countries” like Australia. It is the stakes that are new here, not the century nor Australia's place in Asia. Alison Broinowski is a Visiting Fellow, Faculty of/isian Studies at the Australian National University. © 2011 Alison Broinowski. Posted 12 October 2011. The Conversation 1 http://theconversation.edu.au Australia's Engagement with Asia 5 13