A retrospective on the Australia-Philippines political and security relationship: on Canberra’s terms?

ABSTRACT

After the Philippines gained independence in 1946, Canberra and Manila have maintained a close political and security relationship except for a period from the early-1970s to the mid-1990s. Despite this robust history of cooperation, the Australia-Philippines relationship is often overlooked in the study of Australia’s engagement with Asia. This article analyses the Australia-Philippines relationship from 1946 to the present. It argues that the trajectory of the relationship is shaped by strategic trends at the global level that impinge on the Asia-Pacific regional environment and engage the shared security interests of the two. Conversely, the relationship stagnates without this dynamic, as with the easing of Cold War pressures in Asia from the early-1970s. The article demonstrates that while Manila has consistently maintained a positive disposition toward Australia since its independence, Canberra has reciprocated only on its own terms—when Australia’s political and security interests have been sufficiently engaged.

KEYWORDS:

• Australian foreign policy
• Philippines foreign policy
• international history of the Asia-Pacific

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank participants at the Australia-Philippines Dialogue, Manila, 18–19 July 2019, hosted by the Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress (APPFI) and Griffith Asia Institute (GAI) for insights on the bilateral relationship which helped to inspire this article. Thanks also to the three anonymous peer reviewers for useful comments on improving the manuscript. Any errors remain the responsibility of the authors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Dan Halvorson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University. His research interests focus on the history of Australia’s foreign and defence policies, Cold War history and decolonisation, and the historical sociology of the religious resurgence in world affairs.

Lucy West is a Senior Research Assistant at the Griffith Asia Institute (GAI) and lecturer in the School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University. Lucy’s research interests include rule of law reform in Southeast Asia and the international relations of the Asia-Pacific.

Notes

1 See ‘Pacific Pact’, Department of External Affairs (DEA) Brief for Prime Minister, 7 July 1950, National Archives of Australia (NAA) A1838/383/1/2/8.

2 See ‘Memorandum for the Minister: Asian Conference on Indonesia’, 26 January 1949, NAA A1838/383/1/2/1 Part 4; Australian High Commissioner New Delhi to DEA Canberra, 2 February 1949, NAA A1838/381/3/2; ‘Asian Consultative Machinery’, DEA Brief for the Secretary, 10 February 1949, A1838/383/1/2/1 Part 4; also ‘Regional Arrangement in South East Asia’, 25 March 1949, NAA A1068/DL47/5/6.

3 Extract from an article entitled, ‘Romulo Speaks Out’ appearing in United Nations World, June 1949, NAA A1838/383/1/2/1 Part 4.

4 The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State, 29 March 1949, Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS), The Far East and Australasia, Vol. VII, Part 2, doc. 318; see also Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth) to the Secretary of State, 18 November 1949, FRUS, The Far East and Australasia, Vol. VII, Part 2, doc. 164.

5 Memorandum of Conversation, by the Officer in Charge of Philippine Affairs (Melby), 15 June 1950, FRUS, East Asia and the Pacific, Vol. VI, doc. 48.

6 Australian Delegation to UN New York to DEA Canberra, 14 February 1950, NAA A1838/383/1/2/1 Part 5.

7 ‘Pacific Pact’, DEA Pacific Division Brief for Prime Minister, 7 July 1950, NAA A1838/383/1/2/8.

8 Australian Delegation to Southeast Asian Conference, Baguio (Burton) to Minister DEA and Prime Minister’s Department, 25 May 1950, NAA A1838/383/1/2/8.

9 Australian Ambassador Washington (Makin) to Spender, 14 February 1950, NAA A1838/383/1/2/8 Part 2; ‘Regional Conference in Baguio’, Australian Embassy Wellington to Secretary DEA Canberra, 17 February 1950, NAA A1838/383/1/2/1 Part 5.

10 See, for example, Memorandum by the Regional Planning Adviser in the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Emmerson), 12 December 1950, FRUS, East Asia and the Pacific, Vol. VI, doc. 789.

11 The Ambassador in the Philippines (Cowen) to the Secretary of State, 17 July 1951, FRUS, Asia and the Pacific, Vol. VI, Part 1, doc. 85; Memorandum of Conversation, by the Consultant to the Secretary (Dulles), 18 July 1951, FRUS, Asia and the Pacific, Vol. VI, Part 1, doc. 86; The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Marshall), 2 August 1951, FRUS, Asia and the Pacific, Vol. VI, Part 1, doc. 95.

12 See ‘Pacific Security Arrangements’, 15 March 1951, NAA A1209/1957/5679.

13 Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy to the Consultant (Allison), 5 April 1951, FRUS, Asia and the Pacific, Vol. VI, doc. 62.

14 This was also Australia’s understanding; see ‘Pacific Security Arrangements’, 15 March 1951, NAA A1209/1957/5679.

15 Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines, Washington DC, 30 August 1951; Security Treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America, San Francisco, 1 September 1951.

16 ‘Pacific Charter’, 8 September 1954, NAA A5954/1427/1.

17 See ‘Notes by the Departments of External Affairs and of Defence’, April 1969, NAA A1209/1969/9019/ATTACHMENT.

18 ‘Briefing on ASPAC and ASEAN’, Prepared by L.R. McIntyre, DEA, for Lord Casey, Governor-General, 15 November 1968, NAA A1838/3004/13/21 Part 8.

19 See, for example, ‘Philippines Claim to Sabah’, Australian Embassy Tokyo to DEA Canberra, 10 November 1964, NAA A1838/915/8/1.

20 Australian Embassy Manila (Cutts) to DEA Canberra, 27 October 1964, NAA A1838/915/8/1.

21 ‘Regionalism in South-East Asia’, 1967, NAA A1838/3004/13/17 Part 5.

22 Australian Embassy Manila to DEA Canberra, 7 October 1968; 27 November 1968, NAA A1838/915/8/1.

23 See, for example, Australian High Commission Singapore to DEA Canberra, 23 September 1968, NAA A1838/915/8/1, reporting on an interview with External Affairs Minister Paul Hasluck (1964–1969); ‘Australia and Sabah’, Australian Embassy Manila (Stuart) to DEA Canberra, 14 February 1969, NAA A1838/915/8/1; ‘Transcript of Press Conference by the Minister for External Affairs, Mr Gordon Freeth, M.P. on 5th June, 1969 in Manila’, 9 June 1969, NAA M2567/1.

24 ‘ASPAC: Sabah’, DEA Savingram to All Posts, 24 October 1968, NAA A1838/915/8/1.

25 See, for example, ‘Asian and Pacific Council—Second Ministerial Meeting: Report by the Minister for External Affairs, The Rt. Hon. Paul Hasluck, M.P.’, July 1967, NAA A1838/541/1/1 Part 2; ‘Australia and South-East Asia’, Address by the High Commissioner in India, Sir Arthur Tange, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Madras State, 9 October 1967, NAA A1838/3004/11 Part 8.

26 ‘Regional Co-operation in Asia’, Australian Embassy Manila to DEA Canberra, 4 January 1967, NAA A1838/3004/13/17 Part 5.

27 See ‘Visit of President Marcos to South-East Asia’, 18 January 1968, NAA A1838/3004/13/17 Part 5; ‘Australia and ASEAN’, Australian Embassy Manila to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Canberra, 18 July 1972, NAA A1838/3004/13/21 Part 16; ‘Australian Foreign Policy: New Regional Arrangements’, Attachment to Australian High Commission London to UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), 13 September 1973, The National Archives (TNA) UK, FCO 24/1597.

28 ‘A.S.P.A.C. and U.N.’, Australian Embassy Manila to DEA Canberra, 1 February 1967; ‘ASPAC and U.N.’, 13 February 1967, NAA A1838/3004/13/17 Part 5.

29 Third Ministerial Meeting, Asian and Pacific Council, Canberra, 30 July–1 August 1968, NAA A10730 Box 1.

30 ‘Press Reaction to President Johnson’s Statement’, UK High Commission Canberra to Commonwealth Office (CO) London, 2 April 1968, TNA FCO 24/132.

31 Report by UK High Commission Canberra to FCO, London, 17 November 1970, TNA FCO 24/692.

32 Australian Embassy Washington to DEA Canberra, 8 October 1969, NAA A1838/541/1/13 Part 2.

33 Australian Embassy Washington to DEA Canberra, 24 February 1970, NAA M3787/40.

34 [34] ‘Visit of the Australian Prime Minister to the United Kingdom, 7–13 November 1971’, FCO Brief, 3 November 1971, TNA Cabinet Office Records (CAB) 133/401.

35 Australian High Commission Wellington (A.J. Melhuish) to Secretary DFA, Canberra, 25 May 1972, NAA A1838/3004/13/21 Part 15.

36 ‘DFA Submission to Minister on China Policy, Final’, 4 November 1971, NAA A1838/541/1/3.

37 ‘DFA Submission to Minister on China Policy, Final’, 4 November 1971, NAA A1838/541/1/3.

38 Australian Embassy Manila to DEA Canberra, 14 August 1969, NAA A1838/541/1/13 Part 2.

39 DFA Digest of Despatches, 6 September 1972, A1838/13/21 Part 17.

40 ‘Australian Policy in Asia’, DFA Policy Planning Paper, 30 June 1971, NAA A1838/3006/9/1 Part 6.

41 See ‘Speech by the Prime Minister, Mr. E.G. Whitlam at the University of the Philippines, Manila, Monday, 11 February 1974’, TNA FCO 15/1867.

42 ‘Note of Meeting: First Meeting of the Heads of Mission of Member States of the European Community in Canberra in the Department of Foreign Affairs’, 27 February 1974, NAA M126/7/6 Part 1b.