THERE is a strange disconnect between wealth and power in Australia’s foreign affairs, according to Professor Hugh White.

Sitting among a panel of renowned foreign correspondents speaking on the western world’s relations with China at the Melbourne Writers Festival, the distinguished Australian strategic and defense policy expert described recent Australian foreign policy as symptomatic of a naivety about the relationship between wealth and power.

As China grows in wealth, he said, it will grow in power.

He does not see this reflected in Australia’s plans, moving forwards.

Professor White said current policies align our nation with China for future economic prosperity, and America for strategic prowess.

He cautioned that China’s strategic power grows as the nation increases in wealth, whereas America is in a state of decline.

Should China continue to accumulate wealth, and America to lose it, Professor White predicts China’s power will obscure that of the United States.

This, he said, will greatly affect how Australia sees the world, and its place in it.

The question he envisages being of importance to Australia’s future is whether or not the new world order will be a threat to Australia’s success.

“We’ve never lived in a world not dominated by Western power,” Professor White said.

“For the first time in history a non-Western power will eclipse that of the West to become the most powerful in the world.”

Though the notion may be alien to the Western world- as alien as China itself can seem at times in a Western world- Professor White said China does not consider the interplay between wealth and power to be dichotomous. 

China, he said, aims to grow strong and wealthy.

“And why shouldn’t they?” he said.

Its success at doing so is quickly becoming undeniable.

According to Professor White, this was never more evident than in 2009.

From Copenhagen to Tibet, the booming nation headlined some of the biggest news of the year.

To this effect, Professor White questioned the audience- do we expect to treat China as an equal?

If not, he continued, what do we expect to be the consequences?

“China will respond competitively,” he said.

Professor White predicts the implications of competition with such a strong state would be dire.

“Can we blame China entirely for that?” he asked.

The role of the Western world in fostering China’s growth is irrefutable. Business between key players in the Western world with China is responsible for much of its recent development.

And so, he said, we must accept some responsibility for its actions in future.

“We should urge Western governments to treat China as equals, knowing all the while that it will change the world,” Professor White said.

He acknowledged that a fear of compromising current Australian values in doing so may mitigate the public’s acceptance of his sentiment.

In his view, however, it’s too late for that.

“Australia and the United States made that choice long ago,” he said.

A speech made by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd dates the Australian Trade Union Movement’s first engagement with China to the 1930s and 40s.  

The United States has been involved in foreign trade with China since the 19^th Century.

“It’s a bit late now to try and impose conditions on a growing world power because we don’t like that culture,” Professor White said.

“The cost [to our nation] would outweigh the bad that happens in China.

“The Communist Party of China has done a lot of bad things, but it’s not Nazi Germany,” he said.

Professor White said China’s current communist party is unique.

“It’s important to balance the good with the bad,” he said.

For all its evils, Professor White said the current party delivers to its people.