What’s in a name? The Indo-Pacific is many things. It is a 21st-century map of the globally-central strategic system centred on maritime Asia. It is, quite literally, Australia’s place in the world. It may be a basis for a strategy of multipolarity and balancing to moderate the power of a rising China. And it is a region in which China’s interests and presence are growing.
In the interests of robust, scholarly and policy-relevant debate, Policy Forum has launched this section on the contested concept of the Indo-Pacific. We hope you find its contents of value, and invite contributions to the conversation.
Professor Rory Medcalf
Guest Editor, Indo-Pacific In Focus section
Podcast: Diving into the Indo-Pacific debate
Rapid Round-Up: Australia’s Foreign Policy White Paper
Mapping our Indo-Pacific future: Rory Medcalf’s speech
Australia needs Indo-Pacific clarity | Denise Fisher
The Indo-Pacific is what you make of it| Andrew Phillips
Podcast: Putting the ‘Indo’ in Indo-Pacific | David Brewster
International relations | Australia
President-elect Joe Biden will look to renew the United States’ Indo-Pacific alliance network under his own terms, but President Trump’s legacy in the region may prove difficult to overcome, Joshua Espeña writes.
6 minute read
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International relations | Australia
In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Rory Medcalf, Katherine Mansted and Chris Farnham look over the wild ride that was 2020 and discuss what we should be watching out for in 2021.
41 minute listen
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International relations | Asia
With a Biden administration likely to bring something of a return to the status quo for American diplomacy, Japan and the United States will be able to build even stronger ties in the Indo-Pacific, Sebastian Maslow and Paul O’Shea write.
6 minute read
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Government and governance | Australia
In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Greg Moriarty — Secretary of the Department of Defence — joins Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s defence agenda in a contested Indo-Pacific.
73 minute listen
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Government and governance | Australia
In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted speaks to Ali Wyne about why great powers compete, how China, Russia, and the United States are shaping the global system, and whether their behaviour is making the post-COVID-19 world more dangerous.
49 minute listen
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Government and governance | Australia
In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we are joined by former Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Gai Brodtmann, Head of the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Brendan Sargeant, and Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College, to examine Australia's recently unveiled 2020 Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan.
47 minute listen
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Economics and finance | Australia
While escalating trade tensions between the United States and China are causing problems, they may provide an opportunity for states of the Indo-Pacific to diversify their trade options, Amrita Jash writes.
7 minute read
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Government and governance | Australia
The United States’ European allies have been worrying about the state of their alliance, but the Indo-Pacific can provide an arena for cooperation that could help calm some of the friction that has built up across the Atlantic, Gorana Grgic writes.
7 minute read
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On this episode, Chris Farnham chats with Professor Rory Medcalf about the future of the Indo-Pacific region and Australia's place in it.
Environment & energy | Australia
With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, the countries of the region are beginning to co-operate to mitigate disasters. Early warning and accurate risk assessment must be the core of their outlook, Paul Barnes writes.
8 minute read
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