Cleverly, asked about the remarks at a joint UK-Australia press briefing in Portsmouth, said he and his counterpart had discussed colonialism during their two-day talks…reports Asian Lite News
The Foreign Secretary said there was “no tension” between the UK and Australia after a visiting minister urged Britain to confront its “uncomfortable” colonial past.
James Cleverly said it was not possible to “erase your history”, but it was important that London was “conscious” of it when dealing with former colonial countries such as Australia.
The UK Government is looking to forge stronger ties in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s growing influence in the region, with Canberra seen as a key ally.
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But Penny Wong, Australia’s Malaysia-born foreign minister, told an audience at King’s College London this week that countries such as Britain needed to tackle their colonial past if they were to establish links in the region.
She said her grandmother had worked as a domestic servant for “British colonialists”, some of whom had tobacco and timber plantations.
“Such stories can sometimes feel uncomfortable – for those whose stories they are, and for those who hear them,” Wong said on Tuesday.
“But understanding the past enables us to better share the present and the future.”
Cleverly, asked about the remarks at a joint UK-Australia press briefing in Portsmouth, said he and his counterpart had discussed colonialism during their two-day talks.
Australia remains part of the Commonwealth, having been colonised as part of the British Empire in the late 18th century. Historians have highlighted examples of poor treatment of Aboriginal Australians during British rule.
Cabinet minister Cleverly said the pair did discuss “the nature of the relationship between the UK and other countries which are now in the Commonwealth, but which were previously British colonies”.
But he added: “It was not the mainstay of the conversations we’ve been having.
“The mainstay of the conversations we have been having is about our future joint work, our joint endeavours with regard to security, prosperity, technological advancement. Where we did touch upon the history, the UK’s history and our relationship with the world was in recognising you cannot eradicate or erase your history, so you have to be conscious of it. I think it is incumbent upon the UK, in our dealings with Australia or any other country with which we were once a colonial power, to recognise that we need to demonstrate that this is a modern partnership, a partnership of equals – different but equal, geographically separated but emotionally and historically bound.”
He added: “There has been no tension, no awkwardness.”
One of the major points of agreement during the UK-Australia ministerial summit was on Aukus, a trilateral defence programme between the UK, the US and Australia to provide Canberra with nuclear-powered submarines.
Australian defence minister Richard Marles said the submarine plan was a “huge moment in our country’s history”.
“This will change Australia’s international personality, it will dramatically build our capability, and with that, our sovereignty,” he told reporters in Portsmouth. The significance of Britain and America working together to help us have that technology is one which, in international terms, is also highly significant.”
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