And this hemisphere has nothing in common with the Western Hemisphere of President Monroe’s day. Our region includes the third largest economy, sophisticated, capable and advanced Japan; a rising giant in India destined to match China itself; the fourth most populous nation - an increasingly confident and prosperous Indonesia - not to speak of Australia’s, or indeed our hosts’, own determination and capability to assert and defend our interests.
Just as modern China was founded in 1949 on an assertion of national sovereignty, so will 21st Century China best succeed by respecting the sovereignty of others and in so doing build a reservoir of trust and cooperation with its neighbours. And it has no better or more urgent opportunity to build that trust than to use its great leverage, and honour the responsibility with which it comes, to curb the unlawful, reckless and dangerous conduct of North Korea.
Maintaining the rule of law in our region, respecting the sovereignty of nations large and small is the key to continued peace and stability.
It means working within the rules and sometimes accepting lasting compromise. This is what rule of law is. This is why it works.
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