Practical vs. identity regionalism: Australia's APC initiative, a case study

Abstract

On 4 June 2008 Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced his 'vision for an Asia Pacific community' (APC). Though failing to win support among Asian countries, the initiative offers a useful case study. This article does not focus on the motives and interests of the various governments responding to the proposal but rather on the different (and sometimes conflicting) understandings of regionalism that underpinned those responses. In its diplomatic advocacy of the APC, the Australian government stressed 'practical regionalism' - emphasizing the capacity of such a new 'community' to deal with security, economic, environmental and other challenges faced in recent times in the Asia-Pacific ..