So what do you think? Should Australia be considered part of Asia - geographically and economically? Or should it be considered an outsider?


one of the definitions of outsider is:
One who is isolated or detached from the activities or concerns of his or her own community..
therefore australia couldn't be an outsider when it comes to asian activities,economically and even in terms of security.

Definitely Australia isn't an outsider,although geographically it has its own position apart from south east asia.

Australia Can be a School of East Asia

To these demands for empowerment from ordinary and powerless East Asians, Australia and the other rich countries cannot be indifferent.

Southeast Asia, with a population of some 440 million, by itself has become a more important export market for Australia than either the United States or the European Union. And Northeast and Southeast Asia together account for more than 60% of Australia's merchandise exports.

Beyond commercial interests, East Asia is where Australia's future lies. In my view, East Asia is where both Australia's security and prosperity will ultimately be decided.

And for its neighbors groping their way toward civility, Australia can be a school for tolerance, moderation and compromise, and for respect for opposing opinion.

Australia and the other rich countries must also help ensure that the market system in East Asia emerges stronger and more stable from this crisis. They must lead in discouraging any tendency among the distressed economies to return to protectionism, to recede into an inward turning nationalism.
http://www.asiasociety.org/speeches/ramos-aus.html

Hi Linsi,

In all the forums you are a strong user of dictionnaries

Hi Linsi,

In all the forums you are a strong user of dictionnaries


hi jacques

i love defining with a dictionary, so that
the dictionary takes all the responsibilities..

Dear Linsi,

Dare to take your responsability

[/COLOR]


Hi jacques

You just forgot now it's payback time
i also forgive you

kidding...No problem about that.

i really thought about the topic with much
concern that's the reason i gave the dictionary
the responsibility.

RE-POST

hope Rich could respond..

So what do you think? Should Australia be considered part of Asia - geographically and economically? Or should it be considered an outsider?





My recent reply:

one of the definitions of outsider is:
One who is isolated or detached from the activities or concerns of his or her own community..
therefore australia couldn't be an outsider when it comes to asian activities,economically and even in terms of security.

Definitely Australia isn't an outsider,although geographically it has its own position apart from south east asia.

Australia Can be a School of East Asia

To these demands for empowerment from ordinary and powerless East Asians, Australia and the other rich countries cannot be indifferent.

Southeast Asia, with a population of some 440 million, by itself has become a more important export market for Australia than either the United States or the European Union. And Northeast and Southeast Asia together account for more than 60% of Australia's merchandise exports.

Beyond commercial interests, East Asia is where Australia's future lies. In my view, East Asia is where both Australia's security and prosperity will ultimately be decided.

And for its neighbors groping their way toward civility, Australia can be a school for tolerance, moderation and compromise, and for respect for opposing opinion.

Australia and the other rich countries must also help ensure that the market system in East Asia emerges stronger and more stable from this crisis. They must lead in discouraging any tendency among the distressed economies to return to protectionism, to recede into an inward turning nationalism.
http://www.asiasociety.org/speeches/ramos-aus.html

For most Global Companies, revenue coming from their Australia Branches or Subsidiaries are being rolled over to the Asia Overall Revenue..

Thus, all along, even if physically Australia is considered a continent ...it should be part of Asia.

IF it is a continent on its own..how about its ally New Zealand? will it belong to Australia or Asia Continent?

AGain as far as Global Corporations are concerned ANZ is part of Asia revenue. So it is considered part of Asia.

The ties that Australia have with Britain\UK\US is mainly on language but based on proximity and geography it is still closer to Asia..

I also heard Java, Indonesia has an under ocean (submerged natural bridge to Australia)..this is something I am unsure of..but based on what I have heard from Indonesians and here in Singapore...they said there used to be a time when Indonesians can walk barefoot all the way to Australia..

well well well!!

we also cannot deny the contributions of AUstralia to Customer Service and Training Standards in Asia.

IN 2 of the global companies that I have worked with, Australia takes the lead in terms of setting standards in Customer Service and Training for Asia, specifically South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam).

Australians are also very proud of being Australians. I have never seen a group of people whose loyalty to their own country and inclination to defend their countryment no matter what is outstanding. I never heard an Australian talk silly about their own country.


The only negative thing I hear about Australia is that they consider themselves more superior than other Asians. I also hear that Asians (particularly Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Malays) are being discriminated in AUstralia. So much so, that these Ethnic Asians try their best to sound, act, or behave like Australians sacrificing their own unique cultural heritage.


So, in one way or the other, even if the economic ties are very strong, culturally, Australians still are like outsiders lookin in to fellow Asians. Culturally, the are more closely affiliated with UK/Britain (not so much with US, I guess, because of their loyalty to the QUeen of England).

Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and India thought are all one in saying that they are influenced more by UK/Britain (and they are proud of that) and tend to denounce all US influence...hehhehe I guess a lot of nations denounce allegiance to America nowadays..