asian attitude to aus, page-5

You said:

"12% of Aus trade is with Asia and 41% of that 12% being with North Asia. And Singapore takes 4% of Aus trade. In other words Aus trade with our immediate neighbours is chicken feed"

Now you say:

"I was quoting Lim, the 12% referred to Asean. The article says that Asia takes "more than half" of Australia's exports, and "41%" is concentrated in North Asia"

Actually Asia is crucial to our economy in a positive way, don't you agree?

Asean takes our produce and minerals and even though we run a trade deficit with Asean a drop in exports to Asean would hurt the produce sector and mining. ANY exports must be maintained. Little Johnnie and his poodle are playing with people's livelihoods just to suck up to George Dubya.

As for ASEAN, which comprises the 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam); the 10 ASEAN dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, the EU, India, Japan, New Zealand, ROK, Russia and the United States), the one ASEAN observer (PNG); as well as the DPRK and Mongolia - little Johnnie has just told them they are incompetent to manage their own security and Australia will strike at terrorists in their countries if we see a threat to us. Then he is surprised when they say anti-Australian rhetoric.