Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Australia's proximity to Asia is a geographical reality, and has considerably affected Australia's relations with its neighbors and allies.

Traditionally and historically in sync with the Western alliance, Australia has since the end of WWII embraced its "great and powerful friend," the United States of America. This US umbrella has afforded Australia many alliances but has also locked Australia in to being a partner of the US in its myriad wars in Asia and beyond.

Of late, the US has been seen to be too preoccupied with the Middle East and has lost sight of its Asian neighbors. Not surprisingly, this has brought some criticisms within the US and elsewhere. Tellingly, the Obama administration has sought to re-orient itself and talks of a pivot toward Asia.

Indeed, this call was not unexpected given the rise of China and the strategic calculus in Northeast Asia. Accordingly, the US navy and armed forces have been realigning their objectives and thrust, and the west Pacific has now become a key strategic theater of engagement.

Despite this seemingly new direction, the stance of the US leadership on Asia seems to have gone awry. Domestic fights within the US Congress and the strategic posturing of US conservatives have meant that the US cannot proceed as aggressively on this trek as proclaimed.

Rather, it has had to scale back some of these objectives as part of increasing fiscal constraints. Obama's recent failure to turn up at APEC and other regional forums in the region has also somewhat dulled the American thrust.

Is the Asian pivot strategy redundant then? No, what has instead happened is a realigning and rallying of America's strongest allies within the region to add further ballast and finesse to America's Asian pivot.

This realigning of interests seeks to foment a type of Western-alliance bolstered by other "friendly" nations, including India, Indonesia and Malaysia. These alliances indirectly form part of an encirclement and containment strategy.

Japan has now become increasingly muscular and Australia has similarly been drafted into the US fold. South Korea, Singapore and Canada further augment this "alliance."

The success of such a strategy is still uncertain and the reception to Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the region attests to the fact that there is a considerable swell of goodwill within the region toward China. China would have to accordingly craft its new Asian strategy so as not to unnecessarily increase tensions within the region including within the South China Sea.

Winning the hearts and minds of Asian nations and their governments is important, and rather than allowing new fronts to be exploited by the US and its allies, China would need to ensure it continues to be seen and remains a friend within the region. This necessitates not only the cultivation of a sound trade and export policy but also requires China to further develop its maritime and defense ties with the region.

Support for a zone of neutrality and peace is one such possible initiative, and of course the APT (ASEAN Plus Three) idea, will be further entrenched and reinvigorated.

For Australia, the pivot was lauded and seen as part of a greater strategy which would balance the increasingly important role of China within the global power game.

The author is a former faculty member at Murdoch University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn