About Face: Asian Accounts Of Australia

Alison Broinowski has surveyed historical and contemporary accounts of Australia in ten Asian countries. The results are clear: Australia has an image problem in the region. It is partly of Australia's own making, and partly a result of the way Asian opinion-makers choose, at different times, to represent Australia.

Again and again throughout its history, Australia has found or placed itself on the losing side in an "image war" with its Asian neighbours. Australia is the "easy enemy" onto which they have been able to project their criticisms of Western racism, colonialism, and globalisation.

The more Australians tell Asian countries "what to do", the more resentment such lectures generate. The more concerned Asian leaders are about domestic issues, the more they deflect criticism about them onto Australia. As well, when Asian countries seek strength in numbers, Australia serves as a harmless example of their capacity to exclude outsiders from their affairs. None of this will be easy to change.