Sydney, Nov 13: The Queen's representative in Australia told his compatriots to get serious about relations with Asia today amid claims that Canberra's focus on ties with Britain and the US is reducing its influence in the region. Governor-General Michael Jeffery said Australia needed to improve links with the "India-China arc".
"This region taking in north-east, south-east and south Asia and representing nearly three billion hard-working and intelligent people provides us with a massive opportunity," he said.
"But our success in that arc will greatly depend on the cultural and entrepreneurial image we project."
Jeffery said Australians needed to live and work in Asia, learn its languages and respect its customs.
"I often feel that good ideas and philosophies aren't always fully explored in Australia because as part of our otherwise admirable tendency towards robustness we can become a little polarised," Jeffery said.
Opposition Labor party leader Simon Crean said Canberra was being snubbed in Asia because of its obsession with the United States and Britain.
Bureau Report