Has Australia lost the Pacific?

Author: James Kell, ANU

It’s 2023. Civil unrest on the streets of Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, threatens another coup. At the request of the Solomon Islands government, the Chinese Communist Party provides its Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) peacekeepers to quell the violence. In a process honed on the streets of Hong Kong and Urumqi, the PLA is effective in executing the government’s wishes.

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Australia should have careful faith in ‘great and powerful’ friends

Author: Alexandra Robson, ANU

If Australia was situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, neatly between the United States (US) and Western Europe, much of the anxiety that has defined Australian foreign policy would be alleviated. This anxiety, based on enduring feelings of vulnerability and isolation, has historically driven Australia to seek protection in alliances with powerful and culturally similar states. Today, Australia’s security is underpinned by our alliance with the US. The 2016 Defence White Paper identified this alliance to be at the core of Australia’s security and defence planning as we confront the challenges posed by the changing dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region.

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Where to for Australia and the Quad?

Author: Alex Bulley, University of Sydney

Only a few years ago, Australia was supporting much of China’s involvement in regional affairs. But with increasingly tense disputes in the South China Sea and the current COVID-19 pandemic, this has taken a different turn. Australia is now wary of China’s intentions in the region and as a result is leaning to a more traditional position as an ally of the US. But as Australia severs diplomatic ties with China, new opportunities for collaboration emerge.

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How can Australia respond to China’s disinformation campaign?

Author: Paul Sigar

Although there weren’t any foreign interference or malicious cyber-activities that affected the integrity of the 2019 Federal elections, this may change in the coming years. Australia can expect disinformation campaigns perpetuated by Chinese state actors, similar to those that target Chinese diaspora in North America, to reach its shores — only more sophisticated and covert.

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European Union–Quad collaboration towards a ‘Free and Open’ Indo-Pacific

Author: Ben Johnstone, ANU

The European Union (EU) has recently shown increased interest in the Indo-Pacific. From new bilateral partnerships to a new Indo-Pacific Strategy, the region is finally receiving Brussel’s attention. China’s challenge to the global order through projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has caused alarm among European leaders and the recently re-emerged Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) must seize opportunities to work with Europe if it is to maintain the existing rules-based order.

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Lessons in crisis management: the EP-3 crisis

Author: Anastasia Kalloniati, ANU

Negative perceptions of international security and relations between global powers are steadily rising with mounting tensions between the United States (US) and China. In this fearful climate, we need to look deeper at crises that had the potential to be devastating to better tackle those that may arise in the future. The EP-3 crisis is a fascinating case that fits this description.

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