Send in the Admiral

February saw the appointment of a new United States ambassador to Australia. The position had been vacant for 16 months, causing some concern in Canberra that the Trump administration was diplomatically snubbing Australia after U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had engaged in a terse phone call when the president first took office.

However, any Australian insecurity over the issue will have surely been placated by the Trump administration’s appointment of Admiral Harry Harris, the current commander of U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), to the role. In a statement issued by the White House on the appointment, Harris was described as “a highly decorated, combat proven Naval officer with extensive knowledge, leadership and geopolitical expertise in the Indo-Pacific region.” Harris is expect to take over the ambassador’s position by mid-year.

As the 24th commander of the United States Armed Forces in the Pacific region, Harris has overseen 375,000 personnel, 200 ships, and more than 1,000 aircraft, but he has also been in a central position to witness a changing geopolitical landscape. His appointment to the position of Australian ambassador sends a strong signal that the United States sees Australia as a vital component of its strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. It also sends a strong signal to China that attempts to create a wedge between the two allies will not be tolerated.

During his time commanding PACOM, Harris has become unpopular in Beijing due to his critical remarks over China’s regional behavior. Harris coined the phrase “Great Wall of Sand” to describe the Chinese construction of islands in the South China Sea. He has also accused China of attempting to reorder the Indo-Pacific region through “military modernization, influence operations and predatory economics.” According to Harris, Beijing is the “owner of the trust deficit” in Asia.

With U.S. defense strategy shifting from a concern about terrorist organizations to a return to great power politics, the dynamic between the United States and China looks set to become more adversarial in nature. With Harris’ direct criticisms of Beijing’s activities, he has become an emblem of this dynamic. His appointment is not just of diplomatic significance between the United States and Australia, but symbolic of a wider regional strategy. It reaffirms the United States as Australia’s primary security partner, and demonstrates Washington’s commitment to preventing any revisionist activity in the Indo-Pacific.

The appointment coincides with reports that the U.S. Marine Corps will expand the number of marines it currently has stationed in Australia’s northern city of Darwin. Currently there are 1,250 Marines based in the city on six-month rotations. Although numbers haven’t been confirmed, the increase is part of a plan to move U.S. troops out of the Middle East and create a greater military presence in Asia.

While Harris’ appointment is a strong demonstration of U.S. commitment to the region, and provides great reassurance to a perpetually insecure (emotionally, not physically) ally, encouraging a more forceful role for Australia in regional security may be an uphill task for the admiral. Although Australia is increasing its investments in military hardware, Canberra remains very wary of China, and is far more cautious about any engagements in its direct region than it has been with regard to joining the United States in the Middle East. Despite U.S. encouragement, Australia has refused to conduct any joint freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea for fear of economic repercussions from Beijing.

Persisting with this encouragement and helping to strengthen Australia’s commitment to the recently re-emerged Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with India and Japan may be part of Harris’ role as ambassador. Appointing such a prominent defense figure into the primary diplomatic role between the two countries is a strong indication of what kinds of activities Washington wishes to pursue with Canberra. It marks a noticeable shift in expertise for the ambassador role from the admiral’s predecessor, John Berry, who had previously been the director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

For the Turnbull government, the appointment of Admiral Harris is a noticeable commitment from the Trump administration to strengthen the alliance and maintain the regional status quo. However, the appointment will draw significant suspicion and sensitivity from Beijing, which will need to be negotiated as Australia seeks to balance its security and economic interests.