Living in the shadow of the Hegemon: Philippine-Australian relations and the global war against terrorism

[extract] Studies of Philippine-Australian affairs over the years – and there have been some - concentrate on particular aspects of the relationship or else examine the topic within a broader Asia-Pacific context. The former include the Mail-Order-Bride issue, incidents like the Vivian Solon case, and shared interest in transnational crime; the latter have been mainly preoccupied with ASEAN and other regional partnerships as well as the role of the great powers. For the Philippines, Australia has become a southern alternative to the United States as a place of hope and opportunity. The White Australia Policy and the neocolonial connection of the Philippines with the US encouraged quaint forms of contact which were really no relationship at all.