The “Asia-Pacific Community” is seen as a broader alternative to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) and Association of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN).

“It seems to me that we’re unlikely to see that degree of movement,” Jullia Gillard said. “I don’t get any indication, from the things that have been said, that there is going to be that degree of movement in the region.”

Australia PM doubtful on ‘Asia-Pacific community’ [AFP, 5 July 2010]

Rudd, flanked by his family, repeatedly paused to choke back tears as he listed his achievements in less than three years in office since winning landslide polls in 2007. The former diplomat was uncharacteristically emotional as he delivered his final address as prime minister, describing his proudest moment as his apology to Aborigines, Australia’s most impoverished minority, in February 2008.

Rudd was succeeded as party leader and Australia’s first woman prime minister by former deputy Julia Gillard.

Sources:
Australia’s Rudd says ‘I’ve given it my all’ [Channel NewsAsia, 24 June 2010]
Australia has first woman PM as Gillard replaces Rudd [BBC News, 24 June 2010]

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd warmly welcomed China’s Vice-President Xi Jinping to Canberra as he spoke of the booming economic ties with Australia’s biggest trading partner. Mr Xi, who is tipped to succeed President Hu Jintao within two years, is the first high-level Chinese official to visit Australia since the jailing of Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu in Shanghai in March.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Xi’s visit was a signal that the Australia-China relationship had matured to the point where problems could be worked through. He also mentioned that “some of the difficulties and tensions that we had last year really are now behind us and we’re both taking a long term view of the relationship”.

Australia and China had agreed in April 2005 to begin negotiations for a free trade pact and have had 14 rounds of talks since. The next round is scheduled to be held in Beijing by the end of this month.

Sources:
Australia, China sign major deals, push free trade [AFP, 21 June 2010]
Australia, China sign $12b worth of deals [TODAY Online, 22 June 2010]

The domestically-produced Kavoshgar-3 rocket was equipped with a satellite carrying a mouse, worms and two turtles. Broadcasted live yesterday by state-run television programs, the event culminated with the unveiling of three Iranian satellites during a ceremony attended by Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The act was described as “provocative” by White House spokesman Bill Burton, amidst rising concerns among Western powers that the same technology used in the launch could be harnessed to build long-range nuclear weapons. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki however, claims that “Iran does not seek to produce nuclear weapons” and instead is pursuing the nuclear technology for energy purposes.

Iran is now faced with threats of “severe sanctions” by the UN Security Council, the United States and other countries due to its suspected nuclear weapons programs. In a bid to target Iran’s petrol supply, the sanctions would be aimed towards non-Iranian firms that operate in the energy sector or aid Iran in any way with the production or import of refined oil products. Another Western power, Australia, has also followed suit by blocking several export shipments to Iran under suspicion of being used for its nuclear weapons program. In conjunction with UN efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear weapon program, Australia has also imposed trade sanctions on Iran. Furthermore, the US has rallied other Western powers such as Britain, France and Germany to compel the UN Security Council to pressurize Iran to abandon their nuclear program.

In contrast China, which relies on Iran as its third largest source of crude oil, is unwilling to sign on to harsher penalties against Iran and has utilized its position on the UN Security Council to veto such resolutions. China’s actions come despite warnings from US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton that China would be faced with diplomatic isolation and economic insecurity if it did not support the new sanctions against Iran. Russia another permanent member of the UN Security Council has supported China in calling for patience in their dealings with Iran and preventing harsher regulations against Iran.  Malaysia has also expressed support for Iran’s right to utilize nuclear energy for civilian purposes and has refused to vote for an agreement seeking Iran to discontinue its nuclear power program. In the past both Malaysia and Hong Kong have served as hubs for “middlemen and re-export” when the United Arab Emirates increased export controls in 2007 on Iranian companies that tried to procure nuclear and weapons technology.

The inconsistency in the opinions of nations demonstrates the lack of unity on the new penalties, which some analysts say may render them as ineffective. The near-universal compliance of the sanctions is necessary for them to be successful, so that if “some countries and companies step out of doing business with Iran, others don’t fill the gap”, states Michael Jacobson, former Treasury Department terrorism-finance advisor.

Sources:

Bloomberg, “Tough Sanctions May Not Persuade Iran to Quit Nuclear Program”, January 12, 2010, http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-12/tough-sanctions-may-not-persuade-iran-to-quit-nuclear-program.html

Guardian, “Iran rocket launch opens can of worms in space race with west”, February 3, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/03/iran-launches-rocket-carrying-animals

Reuters, “Government calls Iran rocket launch “provocative act””, February 3, 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6124QW20100203?type=politicsNews

The New York Times, “Clinton Warns China on Iran Sanctions”, January 29, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/world/asia/30diplo.html

The Straits Times, “Aussie blocks shipments to Iran”, February 4, 2010, http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_486234.html

TODAY, “Iran test-fires new rocket”, February 4, 2010, http://www.todayonline.com/World/EDC100204-0000124/Iran-test-fires-new-rocket

Press TV, “West slammed for misuse of Iran nuclear drive”, January 9, 2010 http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=115735&sectionid=351020104

Press TV, “Despite US Pressure, China favors talks on Iran”, February 3, 2010, http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117784&sectionid=351020104

News sources are now reporting that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has canceled the remainder of her Asia trip to deal with the crisis in Haiti.

The trip would have taken her to Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

Secretary of State Clinton called the long history of natural disasters that continue to trouble Haiti “biblical” and “tragic”. She has a special relationship with the Americas’ poorest country: she and former president Bill Clinton honeymooned there, while Mr Clinton is currently the United Nations special envoy to Haiti.

In calling off the rest of her trip, Clinton will miss the 25th Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations in Canberra, which would have brought Clinton and US Defense Secretary Robert Gates together with their Australian counterparts.

Clinton announced that she plans to reschedule the trip, and that the three nations were understanding of her decision.

She had planned to highlight environmental issues in Papua New Guinea, before going to New Zealand to meet Prime Minister John Key to discuss progress on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential free trade group that links Singapore, New Zealand, Brunei, Chile, and possibly the US. From there, Clinton would have traveled to Australia for discussions that likely would have featured Australian involvement in the Afghanistan war.

Sources:

Reuters, “Clinton to cut short Asia trip after Haitian quake,” January 13, 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60C5N020100113?type=politicsNews

Reuters, “Clinton to talk bases, security on Pacific swing,” January 10, 2010, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60A0O320100111?type=politicsNews

Agence France Presse (through Yahoo! News), “Clinton cancels Asia tour to deal with Haiti crisis,” January 13, 2010, http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100113/pl_afp/haitiquakeusdiplomacyclintonasia_20100113233040