These demographic trends demonstrate that Australia is not simply geographically located in the Asia-Pacific region; it is becoming socially, culturally and more economically connected to Asia.
Australia’s future is therefore being shaped by its relationship with Asia, and by the strong Asian connections within Australia .
So, if Australia does not recognise that its connection to Asia is critical to the future growth and prosperity of Australia, is it possible that Australia will miss many opportunities and fail to reach its potential?
Some people argue that Japan’s response was pragmatic because it prioritised long-term national survival and economic reconstruction over historical grievance.
That is, Japan traded its lack of diplomatic action against the U.S. for guaranteed military security.
However, others argue that post-war Japan completely betrayed the memory of more than 200,000 victims of the bombings while at the same time choosing to be a subservient puppet of the U.S.