▁officials ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Ott awa ▁to ▁study ▁Canadian ▁policy ▁initi atives . ▁These ▁included ▁the ▁recognition ▁of ▁China , ▁the ▁new ▁cabinet ▁committee ▁system , ▁and ▁policy ▁on ▁royal ▁pr er og atives ▁and ▁hon ours . ▁Canadian ▁officials ▁were ▁delight ed ▁to ▁see ▁a ▁new ▁interest ▁in ▁Canada ▁from ▁Australia , ▁and ▁were ▁intr igu ed ▁by ▁Whit lam ' s ▁attempts ▁to ▁car ve ▁out ▁a ▁more ▁independent ▁foreign ▁policy ▁from ▁Britain , ▁likely ▁making ▁it ▁more ▁dynamic ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁and ▁perhaps ▁a ▁useful ▁partner . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁Labor ' s ▁party ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁general ▁election , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁need ▁to ▁qual ify ▁this ▁assess ment . ▁Australia ' s ▁new ▁conserv ative ▁Prime ▁Minister , ▁Mal col m ▁F ras er , ▁seemed ▁to ▁adopt ▁a ▁harder ▁line ▁on ▁Cold ▁War ▁issues ▁this ▁his ▁prede cess or , ▁G ough ▁Whit lam , ▁but ▁shared ▁his ▁vision ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁independent ▁foreign ▁policy . ▁F ras er ▁also ▁showed ▁a ▁renew ed ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁and ▁created ▁bil ater al ▁links ▁with ▁Japan , ▁the ▁A SE AN ▁countries , ▁South ▁Korea ▁and ▁Commun ist ▁China . ▁F ras er ' s ▁attempts ▁to ▁provide ▁Australia ▁with ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁ful fill ▁its ▁leadership ▁asp ir ations ▁wor ried ▁Ott awa . ▁The ▁growing ▁economic ▁and ▁political ▁presence ▁of ▁Australia ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁led ▁Paul ▁Martin ▁Sr ., ▁Canada ' s ▁high ▁commission er ▁to ▁Britain , ▁to