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ustralia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard has succeeded in persuading Bob Carr, a former premier of New South Wales, to join her reshuffled Cabinet as foreign minister. It is indeed an excellent choice.

Bob Carr, 65, was a respected leader of the Labor Party in New South Wales when as premier he provided good governance for the most populous state in Australia.

He certainly seems to have a more stable personality compared to his predecessor, Kevin Rudd, and a personal modesty that is genuine. Although he cannot claim mastership of the Mandarin language, with a Malaysian-Chinese wife we can say that foreign minister Bob Carr is as well connected with Asia as Rudd.

Moreover, as premier of New South Wales, which has so many consuls general representing a host of countries in the state capital, Sydney, one cannot brand him as a novice in the field of foreign relations.

What is more heartening, however, and we suspect the reason why Carr’s appointment is welcomed in Jakarta and in the capitals of Asia, is that he is known as sharing the strategic outlook of the former prime minister Paul Keating.

As a matter of fact, both have developed a close relationship as fellow activists of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales.

Paul Keating as prime minister (1991-1996) will always be remembered in various Asian capitals as a courageous political leader with the strategic vision to gradually integrate Australia within a dynamically burgeoning Asia.

Even before Australia’s bilateral trade with China reached its impressive current level, Keating was keen to gradually change the mindset of Australians to accept that the future of their country depended very much on closer cooperation with Asian countries.

The United States, of course, remains a relevant power in the Asia-Pacific region with its aircraft carrier-centered naval task forces patrolling the most strategic parts of the globe, from the East Coast of Africa, the Gulf and all the way to the West Coast of the United States. However, “a power shift” has undeniably occurred and is continuing to take place due to the dramatic rise of China as an economic and military power.

Thus, it was understandable that the US response was a counter strategy of flexing its military muscle, as displayed by President Barack Obama when he delivered his macho speech before the Australian parliament in Canberra last November, about a week before the East Asia Summit Meeting took place in Bali.

Excessively praising the 60-year US-Australian Alliance, which was born very much out of the context of the Cold War, and heralding to the international world (read: China) that the United States remained an Asia-Pacific power from the southern outpost of Western civilization was, to say the least, a public relations blunder.

And Prime Minister Julia with her modest background of international relations warmly welcomed this “Obama doctrine” — a phrase coined by Prof. Hugh White, the eminent geopolitical thinker from the Australian National University, who wrote the enlightening essay “Power Shift” – which would almost qualify her as the “US Sheriff”. Quite a setback for a leader of the Australian Labor Party, since that disparaging title was given by the media to prime minister John Howard, then the leader of the coalition parties, for his unreserved support for president George W. Bush.

Such a speech would have been more convincing if it had been delivered some four decades earlier during the establishment of ASEAN in 1967 or even earlier, at the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference. Linking the US’ commitment with the indigeneous ideals of 1955 or 1967 would have made it more credible.

With Bob Carr as foreign minister, we expect that Australia will conduct a consistent foreign policy — devoid of internal politicking at the top echelons - and will continue to implement Paul Keating’s geopolitical views in developing closer relationships with her neighbors, the ASEAN countries, and the major Asian powers.

The Asia-Pacific countries are facing a challenging task on how to structure a regional-security order that will provide stability and prosperity in the years to come. The principles adopted at the East Asia Summit in Bali last November provide a sound basis to develop that desired security order.

Indonesia and Australia, based on their unique geopolitical positions, should work together as effective partners to speed up the completion of such a security order that will be the underpinning for stability and prosperity in the West Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

The writer is a senior editor with The Jakarta Post. He served as an ambassador to Australia (1991-1995).